After Midnight
by Demoninmyview
Summary: She closed her eyes then as she brought the glass up to the side of her throat. I was paralyzed….I couldn’t move. I needed to leave before I did something I would regret, but there I stood rooted to the spot, watching her. Sad story, happy ending R&R!
1. After midnight

-1AN: Ok bear with me, this is my first fan fiction. I would really appreciate any advice or criticism so please read and review. I hope you like it. OH…and if the flashback seems familiar it's because it's the actual conversation from the book when he leaves her. Anyways, hope you enjoy the story! This was originally going to be a one-shot but, thanks to one of my reviews, my sub conscious sort of took it as a personal challenge to see just where I could go from there with it, so I will be updating as much as life allows.   
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or New Moon or any of their Characters, All of these are the property of the wonderful Stephenie Meyers.   
"**After Midnight"**

Bella's POV   
The wind blew cold against me as I walked slowly down the darkened streets of Chicago and I shivered. I walked in silence, enjoying the quiet of another crisp autumn night, the only light coming from the sparsely placed street lamps along the deserted path through the city park; a path I knew well even in the dark. I had been walking it for years now, just as I had walked every night in Forks after he had left me. It reminded me of the old Patsy Cline song, "Walking After Midnight". I suppose this really was my way of searching for him, though I had no hope anymore of ever finding him. He didn't want to be found, and I honestly had no idea where to look. Still, I would walk, wandering aimlessly after dark, hoping in vain that just maybe, one time I would find him. 

After he had left me, I would sneak out sometime after midnight and walk the rainy streets of Forks until nearly dawn. I was always exhausted at school the next day, but no one noticed, or if they did, they didn't comment on it. I had lost interest in being friends with anyone anyways. I rarely ate and I couldn't sleep properly without his strong cold arms around me and his velvet voice softly humming my lullaby. And so, time passed me by, days, weeks, months,…years. Long, lonely years. I'd long ceased to have any type of friends, and my family also was long gone. And so all I had left now of my routine was the walking, the hoping that one day….I would find him again, and even just seeing his face again for a second…I could die happy. . I was after all dying; I had been slowly dying since my 20th birthday. It had turned out it wasn't just my depression that eliminated my appetite and caused me not to sleep well. No…..of course not, I'm me remember….Bella "nothing can ever go right" Swan… the danger magnet. I had cancer. I had taken treatment after treatment and fought it into remission….but it always came back and each time it spread farther into me. This time, however, there would be no treatments. I no longer had it in me to fight, not even for a promise made so long ago. For me, death was inevitable, and this time…I was ready to die. 

The sky tonight was a deep black and the stars burned brightly in its depths, but there was no moon. A new moon. It reminded me, painfully, of another night in the woods so long ago, of another new moon, of the night that he'd left me. A new wave of hopelessness washed over me as I, again, relived the memory, feeling every bit of the pain as if it were happening in the present. 

(Begin _flashback: "Bella we're leaving"_

"_Why now? Another year-"_   
"_Bella it's time. How much longer could we stay in Forks, after all? Carlisle can barely pass for thirty and he's claiming thirty-three now. We'd have to start over soon regardless"_

"_When you say WE-"_

"_I mean my family and myself."_

"_Ok… I'll come with you."_

"_You can't Bella. Where we're going…It's not the right place for you."_

"_Where you are is the right place for me."_

"_I'm no good for you Bella."_

"_Don't be ridiculous! You're the very best part of my life!"_

"_My world is not for you."_

"_What happened with Jasper--- that was nothing, Edward! Nothing!_

"_You're right; it was exactly what was to be expected"_

"_You promised! In Phoenix, you promised that you would stay…"_

"_As long as that was best for you."_

"_No! This is about my soul isn't it? Carlisle told me about that, and I don't care, Edward. I don't care! You can have my soul. I don't want it without you…it's yours already!"_

"_Bella, I don't want you to come with me."_

"_You…don't…want me?"_

"_No."_

"_Well, that changes things."_

"_Of course I'll always love you…in a way. But what happened the other night made me realize that it's time for a change. Because I'm…TIRED of pretending to be something I'm not, Bella. I am not human. I've let this go on much too long, and I'm sorry for that."_

"_Don't. Don't do this."_

"_You're not good for me Bella."_

"_If…that's what you want." He nodded once_

"_I would like to ask one favor, though, if that's not too much."_

"_Anything."_

"_Don't do anything reckless or stupid; do you understand what I'm saying? I'm thinking of Charlie, of course. He needs you. Take care of yourself…for him."_

"_I will."_

"_I'll make you a promise in return. I promise that this will be the last time you'll see me. I won't come back. I won't put you through anything like this again. You can go on with your life without anymore interference from me. It will be as if I'd never existed. Don't worry. You're human…your memory is no more than a sieve. Time heals all wounds for your kind"_

"_And your memories?"_

"_Well,…I won't forget. But MY kind…we're very easily distracted. That's everything I suppose. We won't bother you again."_

"_Alice isn't coming back."_

"_No. They're all gone, I stayed behind to tell you goodbye."_

"_Alice is gone?"_

"_She wanted to say goodbye, but I convinced her that a clean break would be better for you… Goodbye, Bella"_

"_Wait!"_

"_Take care of yourself." And then he was gone. End Flashback)_

The raw emotions the memory invoked in me were too much and I felt my knees begin to weaken beneath me. I stumbled to the nearest bench to the side of the path and sank onto it clutching my chest as I tried to get control of my breathing, tears silently streaming down my face. "Edward." his name a choked whisper on my lips as I began sobbing uncontrollably. 

Edward POV: 

It was a clear night, and cool. There was a slight breeze rustling through the dying leaves of the few trees that remained in this area of the park. It was nice to be back in Chicago again, even if only briefly. I would have to thank Alice again for recommending I come here. It was always nice to revisit the city of my human birth and life. Surprisingly, Erica, the newest edition to our family, had wanted to come with me on this little trip. Well, perhaps not so surprising. We were quickly becoming much more than friends of late. Carlisle had found her while he was out hunting a few decades ago. She was newly turned and wandering alone and wild. He brought her home and she's been with us ever since. 

I couldn't blame her really, for wanting to come with me. She hadn't been allowed to get out much over the years. She usually didn't do so well in crowded places, and wasn't always successful at sticking to our diet. She had recently gotten very good at keeping control and wanted to test out her strength in the city. It was for this purpose that we had refrained from hunting since we'd gotten here a week ago. We would have to hunt soon though; even my self control had its limits when in so crowded a city. 

We had been walking around town for a number of hours enjoying the day and the scenery. It was her first trip to Chicago and she had spent most of the day listening to me recount what I remembered of my human life here. Since she had joined our family we had become fast friends, being the only two single members of the family, and, as time went on we slowly began to evolve into something more. It was as we were walking through the slightly wooded area of the city park, our hands clasped and her head resting on my shoulder, that I heard a faint crying sound. I stiffened…surely if anyone were here I would be able to hear their thoughts. "What is it Edward?" 

"I just thought I heard crying, it couldn't have been a human though, I would have been able to hear their thoughts. Probably just some animals. Come, let's continue our walk." 

No sooner had I spoken and began to take a step, than the wind shifted suddenly, blowing my hair softly, and carrying with it the most heavenly scent I'd ever smelled in my existence. It smelled of freesia and something else and immediately the venom began to pool in my mouth as my breath caught in my throat. It _couldn't _be…_could_ it? Yes, there was no mistake about it. It was definitely Bella's scent. It was more intoxicating than I'd remembered, and I found myself drawn towards it seemingly against my will. I couldn't stop myself. It had been so long since I'd laid eyes on her, felt her warm touch, kissed her…._Smelled_ her, and it was driving me insane. 

I took off in an instant towards that heavenly scent, a shocked, frightened, and completely forgotten Erica following behind. It didn't matter, the only thing that mattered right then was getting to Bella. GOD how I had missed her, how I still loved her. I had to at least catch a glimpse of her. I had no intention of revealing myself though, I had promised she would never see me again, and I wasn't about to break that promise anytime soon. 

As I came closer I realized that I _had_ been hearing someone crying. It was Bella. She looked so different, old and worn, and so very sad, as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders and she had no hope of a reprieve. I stood watching her, torn between my desire to rush forward and comfort her and the desire to keep my promise to her. Erica stood a few feet behind me a look of utter confusion on her face as she took in my expression, my captivated study of this human woman. 

She knew nothing about Bella. The topic was a rather painful one for the family to discuss, so we hadn't mentioned it. She grabbed my hand and tugged backwards, signaling that we should leave, not understanding my desire to stay. Just when I began to turn towards her, deciding to keep my promise and not interfere in Bella's life, I heard something I never thought to hear again in my existence. Amidst her heart wrenching sobs and tears, I heard it clearly. One word, over and over again, repeated as if in prayer. My name. 

I froze instantly. Had she seen me? No, she … she was crying over me… over _ME. _It had been fifty agonizing years since I had left her for her own safety…and still, she cried for meI began to walk back towards her when a tug on my arm stopped me. I had forgotten once again about Erica, and I stumbled a bit when her hand jerked me back, snapping a fallen tree branch underfoot. We heard a faint gasp, followed shortly by a soft shocked whisper. "E… Ed … Edward!?" 

Bella POV:   
I don't know how long I had been sitting there crying uncontrollably; time didn't really seem to mean much to me anymore. Truthfully, nothing did or had since he'd left me, alone and broken, all those years ago. I held my arms tightly across my chest trying in vain to clutch the edges of the hole in my chest to keep it from ripping me apart completely. Suddenly I heard the sound of snapping twigs and looked up startled to my left and gasped at what I saw. Standing there, just at the edge of the trees, was Edward. He was just as breathtakingly beautiful as I'd remembered. "E …Ed…Edward!? " 

He was with another vampire, a girl with light blond hair and straight angular features. She stood there eyeing me with confusion and a hint of disdain. Even through her sour expression, she was clearly beautiful, nearly as beautiful as Rosalie had been. Edward stood frozen looking between the two of us briefly before turning toward me. 

"Bella" his velvet voice whispered my name almost inaudibly, as if he were afraid to say it out loud. I studied his face, recommitting it to memory, afraid at any moment I would wake from my obvious dream to find myself alone again. It was the same beautifully pale complexion I remembered, the bruise like shadows under his eyes were slightly darkened, and his eyes were a dark honey color rimmed with black indicating that it had been a while since he last fed. He was thirsty. 

"Edward." my voice cracked over his name and I inwardly cursed myself for being so weak. "Hello Edward." I tried again, with more success.   
"Hello Bella." He stared at me with an unreadable expression for a few moments and the silence seemed to stretch between us. The girl he was with began to fidget nervously in the intense atmosphere. I wasn't holding up too well with it myself; it was becoming uncomfortable and awkward. I decided he wasn't going to say anything more, so I said the first thing that came to mind. 

"How is everyone? It's been a long time." It had been a long time, fifty years to be exact, and I had missed them all terribly. 

"They're all doing well." His face showed confusion at my question, and I glanced briefly at his companion. He seemed to have forgotten that she was there and immediately turned towards her. "Erica, this is Bella. Turning back to me he said "Bella, this is Erica. She's -" He paused then, uncertain of what he should say. 

"His girlfriend" she said, the warning in her voice clear as she glared at me. At the word girlfriend I visibly flinched, the pain tearing through my chest and I shuddered. He had moved on. I had always known he would, after all, he didn't love me, but it still hurt having the evidence of it right in front of me. Edward shot her a pointed look and quickly looked back to me. He could clearly see the pain written across my face. He let out a sigh and turned back to her. "Erica could you give us a few moments please?" 

Reluctantly, she nodded her head once and retreated back into the tree-line staying within earshot. He closed his eyes for a few moments, taking a deep unnecessary breath, and then began to speak. "It's so good to see you again. Everyone has missed you terribly. Alice especially. I shall have to tell her about seeing you." he smiled nervously silently gauging my reaction. I closed my eyes and forced a small smile. "I've missed you all so much. Tell Alice…" I faltered, there were too many words, yet none seemed to express the emotions correctly. 

"I'll tell her." I opened my eyes to see him smiling my favorite crooked smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. I couldn't stop the next words out of my mouth; they tumbled out before I even knew what I was saying. "It's good to see you found someone who's good for you. It must make things so much easier for you." The pain and accusation in that statement were poorly hidden, and he immediately understood its meaning. A look of pain flashed across his beautiful face but was quickly hidden. I guess he thought I wouldn't remember his words. How little did he know, I remembered every word he'd ever said to me, vividly. 

"Bella, I…I'm sorry. The last thing I ever wanted was to hurt you. That's why I left; I wanted you to be safe and happy, to have a normal human life. You could never have had that with me in the picture, you would have always been in danger." 

I looked at him then, a resigned sadness clearly visible in my eyes. "I would have been with you, that was all that ever mattered to me, but you don't need to apologize for not loving me. It never really made sense to me for you to love me. I guess in a way, I always knew it was just a dream, and I forgave you a long time ago. I'm sorry I said that to you. It was your every right to find someone, and I really am glad that you have. At least one of us was able to be happy." As I spoke, tears welled in my eyes and fell unbidden down my face, but my voice remained steady. 

"What about you?" He asked. Memories of another conversation flashed into my mind, our first real conversation all those years ago, when he'd asked about why I'd come to Forks to begin with. 

"Didn't I already tell you? Life isn't fair." The same answer I'd given him then. I let out a humorless laugh "especially to me." he looked at me, troubled. "What were you doing out here so late? Shouldn't you be home…with _your_ family?" 

"Charlie's been dead a long time Edward, so has Renee." Surely he would have realized that. Unless he thought… yes, his next words confirmed it. "Your husband? Children?" 

"I suppose had either ever existed for me that yes, I would be home with them." 

His face was pained as he processed my words. "You… never married?" 

"No, there was never room for anyone in my heart, but you. I would think you would've known that. You can't marry someone when you're in love with someone else, even if it's someone you can never have. I could never have lived that lie." 

"You were happy though, weren't you? You had friends, your parents, you were safe." His face was desperate now, filled with regret and a small amount of hope that my answer would be a yes. 

"I had _a_ friend… for a while. After you left me,… I spent months not doing anything or talking to anyone. I went to school, to work, and home. I did what I was supposed to do, went through the motions of the day, but I didn't talk to anyone. I was a zombie. All of my friends pretty much gave up on me eventually. They got tired of my single word answers to their questions, if I answered at all that is. I couldn't listen to music anymore either, it just tore the wound open wider. For the longest time I couldn't even stand to hear or say your name, any of your names, or I would break down. Charlie tried sending me to Jacksonville to live with mom and Phil, but I wouldn't go. I couldn't. Forks was all I had left of you, you had taken my pictures, everything. I couldn't leave, I couldn't lose you completely. 

I started making more of an effort after that to keep up appearances. I tried renewing my friendship with Jess. We went to a movie in Port Angeles but, she wasn't really into it. I saw some guys coming out of a club and I thought maybe they were the same guys you had saved me from that night. I started walking over to them, thinking that since your promise of never existing to me wasn't kept, why should I keep my promise to stay safe. I think a part of me just wanted you to show up and save me again. As I walked I could hear your voice in my head, telling me not to be stupid, that I promised, pleading with me to turn away. But I kept going, I knew if I stopped, so would your voice, and it had been so long since I'd heard it. It wasn't them though and Jess was really mad at me for scaring her like that." 

He stared at me wide eyed as I told him about my escapades to put myself in as much danger as possible just to hear his voice. As I told him about Jacob, and his fixing the motorcycles for us to ride, looking for the meadow, Jake becoming a werewolf, the pack saving me from Laurent in the meadow, Victoria hunting me, my cliff diving near death experience, and finally, of Jacob's growing feelings for me and how I could never bring myself to return them. 

"He finally got tired of it, he asked me to marry him over and over and I always refused him. He couldn't stand the thought that I loved you. It made him angry, and the last time I refused him….he lost control. He attacked me. He felt terrible about it, and of course I forgave him, it was my fault after all. 

He stopped coming to see me after that, afraid he would hurt me, and unable to bear the hurt of my rejections any longer. He was my only friend, and I had finally managed to drive him away. He was all I'd had left by then. Charlie and Renee were both gone. Renee in a plane crash with Phil on the way to one of his games, and Charlie, killed by Victoria when she came looking for me one night. And then one night, she found me. 

I was out walking, like I was tonight and she was there. She was gloating over killing my father and how she was going to kill me as well. I told her go ahead and get it over with, I didn't want to live anymore anyways, she'd be doing me a favor. I guess that got to her and she decided that letting me live and continue suffering would be more a satisfying revenge than killing me, so she left, and then I really was alone. 

I had graduated and gotten a job, gotten myself an apartment, went through the motions of life, but I wasn't living. I was dead inside, and then I found out I was dying. I had cancer. I wanted to give up, but something wouldn't let me. I was still hoping you would change your mind, that you would come back and save me, so I fought it. I went through the treatments and I beat it, and it came back, and still I fought and beat it, determined to keep my promise to you of staying alive. I found out a month ago that it's back again, and I just didn't have the strength to fight anymore. I refused the treatments, they won't help, I'm supposed to die. I was supposed to die a long time ago. I should've died that first day in Forks. I've often wished _you had _followed me home that day." I looked down at the ground as I finished talking, afraid of what I would see in his eyes. 

Edward POV:   
I sat quietly listening as she told me about her life after I left her. My heart broke more with every word she uttered and I knew that if I was able, I would be crying right now. My leaving hadn't benefited her at all. In fact, it had put her in even more danger. I had broken her so completely. She hadn't moved on as I'd intended her to, she'd held on to her love for me like a lifeline. I had underestimated her love for me.   
I stared at her in wide eyed shock as she told me about her run in with Laurent, and Victoria hunting her, her close friendship with an adolescent werewolf and his pack, the loss of her parents, and finally, the loss of her werewolf best friend when she couldn't bring herself to return his affections. It was all I could do not to pull her into my arms and comfort her as she told me how she had begged Victoria to kill her, how she hadn't wanted to live without me, and of how she had battled her disease solely for the sake of her promise to me. If I thought my heart had broken before, it was definitely shattered when she uttered the last few sentences in her story 

", I'm supposed to die. I was supposed to die a long time ago. I should've died that first day in Forks. I've often wished you _had_ followed me home that day." She looked down as she uttered those words, avoiding my eyes and what she would see in them. 

We both sat there staring at the ground beneath our feet in total silence, both of us equally broken and in pain. Her heart wrenching sobs coinciding with my own tearless ones. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and I turned to look at her. Her eyes were still on the ground and I placed my finger beneath her chin to lift her face to look into mine. We stared, lost into each others eyes for an immeasurable amount of time before I finally broke the silence. "Bella," my voice strained with sadness and regret "Bella, I'm so sorry. There aren't words enough to make up for what I've done to you, to us both. I should never have left you, I loved you so much, and I still do. I thought I was doing you a favor by leaving, that you would be better off without me. I couldn't have been more wrong. I--" she interrupted then cutting my words short. 

"Don't, Edward, please. Don't apologize anymore. I already told you I forgive you; you didn't want to be with me, that's nothing to apologize for. Don't tell me you loved me just to make me feel better, I can't take it." 

I was suddenly angry that she could even think that. "I wasn't saying it to make you feel better; I was saying it because it was the truth. I did love you, I still do." 

"It's too late for that now Edward, even if you did mean it, it's been too long. We were never meant to be." her voice cracked as she said this and her tears started falling fresh down her streaked face again. "Not in that way anyways." I didn't understand, what could she mean by that? 

"What do you mean, not in that way? In what way do you think we were meant to be?" 

As she looked up into my eyes I suddenly knew what she was getting at and, had my heart been beating it would have stopped right then. "No." I shook my head in disbelief "No, you can't think that." 

"I don't think it, I know it. You were supposed to kill me that day. I was supposed to be with you forever, be a part of you forever, my blood called to you for that very reason. I was right, you _were_ fighting fate" 

This was quickly turning into one of our famous arguments. "NO!, Don't you dare say that. Damn it, I _loved _you. I _NEVER _wanted to hurt you like that!" 

"But you did, Edward. You _did_ want to hurt me like that; you wanted to kill me, to taste me. Just like you want to right now, I can see it in your eyes! Don't fight it anymore Edward! I'm ready now, it's what I want. Take away my pain, and yours. Kill me. Go on…do it. At least I'll get to be with you forever in some way. We both know that's the only way you ever really wanted me to begin with." 

I stopped breathing, it was as if she'd reached into my chest and ripped my non-beating heart out. "That's not true." my voice a choked whisper. I couldn't believe she actually thought that. 

"If it wasn't, you would have changed me so I could be with you instead of leaving me human. It was my blood that attracted you to me, not _me._ It was never _ME_ you loved. Please Edward, just take me. I know you want to; I can see it in your eyes. It's all you can do not to sink your teeth into my throat right now. I can tell by your eyes that you haven't fed enough, I know you're thirsty. Go ahead, do it. Satisfy your craving Edward." 

"How… how can you think that? I can't do that to you, never to you. Damn it I LOVE YOU! I love you." the last came out in a whisper. "Whether or not you believe it, I love you." 

"You moved on Edward, and she's waiting for you. Put me in the past, permanently. End this, please. I couldn't bear to see you walk away from me again. It would kill me anyways, Edward, I'm DYING anyways! Make my death mean _something_! Please, it's all I have left to give to you, take it. You already took my soul Edward, my life means nothing anymore." 

"I…I can't, I won't. I'm sorry" I whispered and turned to walk towards where I had seen Erica disappear into the trees as she crumpled to the ground screaming out her sobs. I should never have stayed, I should have left the second I smelled her. I've only hurt her worse, and myself as well. 

I had begun to walk away, when it hit me like a sweet siren song calling me to my doom. Blood, _her_ blood. A small amount but enough to keep me rooted to the spot for fear I would lose control. I turned and found her inspecting a small cut on her hand that had a shard of glass protruding from it that she'd gained as she'd collapsed to the ground. Her sobs had quieted and she looked up at me expectantly as she removed the glass from her hand. 

I was tensed, coiled instinctively to spring but I was fighting it. I stared at her my eyes black with thirst, the monster in me fighting to come out, but I wouldn't, couldn't allow it. She closed her eyes then as she brought the glass up to the side of her throat. I was paralyzed….I couldn't move. I needed to leave before I did something I would regret, but there I stood rooted to the spot, watching her. 

I had never seen anything more beautiful in my life. She was there, on her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks caught in the moonlight, her long hair haphazardly framing her upturned face. Her eyes squeezed shut and she struggled to control her breathing as she pressed the point of the glass to the main artery in her throat. Slowly, she opened her eyes and stared directly into mine as she began to slice into her skin with the glass. 

The smell overtook me all at once, and I couldn't fight it any longer. I had to have her, the monster in me was winning, her scent leaving me completely intoxicated, and I was lost. I was on her before the blood had even begun to drip from the wound, sinking my teeth into her flesh as I wrapped her in my embrace. I groaned in pleasure at the first taste of her. She tasted so much sweeter than I remembered; this time there was no venom to mix with the intoxicating flavor of her blood. 

Never had anything tasted so divine, so satisfying, and I wanted more. I tightened my arms around her, my mind screaming at me to stop, that this was wrong, but the monster in me wouldn't be deterred, and it was too late now to stop anyways. Her arms shot around me clinging to me as she practically melted into my arms. She didn't fight me; she made no move to even try. Just as I heard her heart begin to slow I felt her lips pressed against my neck in a kiss and I heard her sigh my name, and as her eyes began to close for the final time, she whispered "I love you, and I forgive you" and then she was gone. 

I staggered back in shock at what I had just done. I had killed her, I had killed my angel, the one being on this earth I had sworn never to harm, and she had begged me, practically forced me to do it. I truly was a monster. I couldn't move from that spot. I knelt there, holding her lifeless body in my arms sobbing. I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. Erica, I had forgotten all about her. I looked up into her troubled face with dead eyes. "Edward, we should go" 

"No." I choked out between sobs. "I won't leave her again" 

"We have to go NOW!" 

I lifted her lifeless body into my arms, staring down at her face, her peaceful expression, her closed eyes, and I knew I had to fulfill my promise. That I wouldn't live in a world where she didn't exist. 

"No, tell my family what happened, and that I love them, but I won't be coming home. I have a promise to fulfill. Alice will understand what you mean. Please, don't try to follow me. You won't find me." 

"Edward wait, please! " And with that I ran as fast as I could, carrying her with me, leaving a terrified Erica staring after me still not understanding what had happened. I wouldn't leave Bella, ever again. I would follow her in death as I'd sworn to so long ago. I ran for what seemed like days, in truth it probably was, until I reached Forks and the meadow. I laid her body down in the sunlight among what was left of this years wildflowers and stretched myself out next to her. 

We would rest together forever here in our special place. I knew it wouldn't be long now; the place absolutely reeked of werewolf. They were near by, I knew if I could smell them so strongly then surely they had smelled me. I lay there with my eyes closed waiting, and then I heard it. A low menacing growl coming closer and closer. I kept my eyes closed even as I felt its claws tearing into my flesh, and made no sound as it began to rip me to pieces. "I'll be with you soon my angel" was the last thing I whispered before the world went forever dark. 


	2. Promises Kept

-1AN: Okay, so "After Midnight" was originally going to be a one-shot but, one of the reviews I got sparked and evil plot bunny in my head that simply wont go away and I found myself with a very good idea of how it COULD go on from where I left off, so… here it is…the sequel to "After Midnight" The first chapter backs up a bit, so we're going to re-live their deaths through Bella's POV before we get on with the story. Please read and review!   
Disclaimer: once again, I own neither "Twilight", "New Moon" nor any of their characters; all these are the property of Stephenie Meyer. 

Chapter 1: Promises Kept.

Bella's POV:   
"You moved on Edward, and she's waiting for you. Put me in the past, permanently. End this, please. I couldn't bear to see you walk away from me again. It would kill me anyways, Edward, I'm DYING anyways! Make my death mean something! Please, it's all I have left to give to you, take it. You already took my soul Edward, my life means nothing anymore." 

"I…I can't, I won't. I'm sorry" He whispered, his voice cracking with every word as his eyes fell to survey the ground at his feet, then slowly, and steadily he turned away towards the break in the trees where, until a few moments ago, his new girlfriend had stood. He was midway through his first step in her direction, when I suddenly felt the hole in my chest being ripped anew, and a whole new depth to the pain existed now. Before, the emptiness had been confined to my chest; it now covered my entire being as if I was being ripped into a million different pieces by the claws of some wild untamed creature. My entire body went limp and I crumpled to the ground, tears flowing freely down my cheeks as my sobs escaped in loud screams into the stillness around us. He paused then, uncertain, a look of pure agony and remorse etched into his beautiful angelic face, and I couldn't help but think that an angel should never be in so much pain. 

He turned then, to resume his walk back to his new life, leaving me forever behind, leaving me to die alone, without him. I willed myself to move then, I had to go after him, I couldn't see him walk away again. I placed my hands hard against the gravel and pushed myself up to my knees, feeling a sharp, searing pain in the center of my left palm as I did so. I froze then, catching a faint smell of rust and salt that I knew was blood…MY blood, and knowing also, that in the state he was in, Edward would likely not be able to resist its siren call to the monster within him. _His brand of heroine_ he'd called it once. 

I brought my hand up to eye level seeing a large shard of glass protruding from my hand, and then looked up at Edward, coiled in a tense crouch as if he would spring onto me at any second. I waited, expecting him to pounce, my eyes silently willing him to give in. After a few moments, he still hadn't moved, and I thought perhaps he needed more incentive. I stared longingly at him, my gaze expectant as I removed the glass from my hand. He stood, still as a statue, his eyes black and wild with thirst, yet still holding onto his control by a single thread. This small cut wasn't enough, if I really wanted this, there would have to be more blood. 

My stomach churned at the thought but I forced it down. If this went the way I wanted, I wouldn't have to worry about that for very long anyways. I closed my eyes then, turning my face towards the moonlit sky as I brought my hand up, resting the sharpened edge of the glass at the vein in my throat. I paused then, soaking in the moonlight as the tears continued to stream down my face, my hands trembling slightly as I pressed down harder and opened my eyes, staring directly into his as the glass sliced deeply into my flesh, my eyes silently offering him his deepest desire, granting him the permission to take it freely and guiltlessly, begging him to end this pain. 

He lurched forward, his movement so fast I hadn't even registered it, and suddenly, I was in his arms again, held tightly to his body so I wouldn't struggle as his teeth sank into my throat tearing the cut I'd made into a gaping hole. I let out a gasp at the pain as he moaned in pleasure at the taste of my blood. He tightened his arms around me, drinking me in with abandon and I melted into his arms, flinging my own around his back to embrace him, and at that moment, it didn't matter that I was dying, it didn't matter that with every second he was draining more of my life away. The pain was gone and despite the situation, I felt _well_, I felt whole again. My heart raced in my chest as I breathed in his amazing scent, and it was like there had never been a hole in my chest. I was home, and I was happy. 

Just as soon as my heart had sped up, it began to slow and I knew that it would soon be over. Darkness was beginning to cloud my vision and my thoughts became slurred as everything began to dim. I could feel my heartbeat slowing rapidly and I lowered my head placing my lips to his neck just above his shoulder in one last kiss to his cold skin as I sighed his name, whispering to him my last words of forgiveness, and love before my world went forever dark, or so I thought. 

The darkness however, lasted only seconds, and as I opened my eyes I found myself looking at Edward, staring down at my lifeless body on the ground with a horrified expression, his eyes filled with anguish and self loathing as tearless sobs wracked his entire being. 

"Edward, please, don't be sad. Its alright, it's what I wanted, please!" I walked over to him but he didn't seem to notice my presence, his eyes fixed on the body lying cold in his arms with the most peaceful expression on her face. "Edward, please, look at me. EDWARD!" I shouted and still he didn't hear me. Suddenly there was a slight rush of wind and the girl he had been with, Erica, was standing just behind him, her face a mixture of confusion and horror at what he had done. She knelt beside him placing a hand gently on his shoulder, startling him out of his dazed focus on the body in his arms. He looked up into her face, his once expressive eyes devoid of any kind of emotion. 

"Edward, we should go" she said, trying in vain to pull him from the ground. 

"No." his voice choked with strangled sobs. "I won't leave her again" 

"Edward I'm right here! Look at me, I'm fine!" I walked to him then, trying to put my hand on his shoulder only to have it pass straight through him. 

"We have to go. NOW!" She raised her voice, pleading with him to flee the scene with her before someone came along and noticed them, and the dead body lying before them, completely drained of blood. 

He stood then, lifting my body into his arms, gazing into my face, his eyes determined, as if he had made a decision he had yet to give voice to. "No, tell my family what happened, and that I love them, but I won't be coming home. I have a promise to fulfill. Alice will understand what you mean. Please, don't try to follow me. You won't find me." I started at his words. What did he mean he had a promise to fulfill? "Edward, wait! Please! "She cried out in protest, but too late, he was already gone. 

"Edward!" my voice called out to him falling on deaf ears. I had to make him see me, make him realize I was still here with him, that I was ok. I followed after him, amazed that I was actually catching up to him, when I realized suddenly that I wasn't even running. I floated swiftly along behind him as if my will alone were moving me forward. We moved constantly, never slowing, as the light began to fail into night and then back into a pale dawn. Time passed around us, and still he ran swiftly, unaware of my presence following close behind him. Finally he slowed to a walk, slowly walking through the last few trees that surrounded us and into a clearing. It was the meadow, OUR meadow. He walked directly to the center, lying my body carefully down onto the grass among the few flowers that still held bloom this late in the year. He stretched himself down along side, cradling me into his arms as he wept silently. 

"Edward, what are you doing? Damn it, Edward look at me! I'm right here! You can't just lay here like this! Edward please!" 

He stiffened slightly sliding his eyes closed and relaxing against my body. Just then I saw it, a large russet colored werewolf flew at him from behind me moving directly through the space I was in. Its claws tore into him as he lay there, waiting, unmoving, for death to claim him. 

"NOOOOOO!" I screamed, "Edward!" No! Fight back damn you!" I screamed in hysterics. "Jake stop, please!" He didn't even scream in pain as the wolf began to rip into him. The scene faded before my eyes as I heard him whisper "I'll be with you soon my angel" as the wolf continued tearing him to shreds, my voice screaming out in horror at the scene before me, as my former best friend murdered the love of my life before my very eyes as everything faded once again to blackness. 

Edward POV:   
I was falling, that much I knew, though for how long or to where I had no idea. The last thing I remembered was the pain of the wolf's claws at it had savagely torn me apart, killing me. The thought struck me heavily, I was dead. Whatever I had expected would happen to me in death, it wasn't this. I had expected to find myself in the fires of hell, though I had hoped that, by some small chance of mercy, I would be rejoined with my beloved, my Bella. I looked around me as the wind whipped around my face, attempting to see anything at all in the impenetrable darkness that enveloped me. Even with my heightened sense of sight, I could make out nothing of my surroundings. 

Giving up on that task, I allowed my eyes to close, turning my thoughts to my Bella, my beautiful angel. How could she have forgiven me? I was a monster. I had crushed her so completely, and still, she loved me, had forgiven me, even as I took her life. She had to be an angel, no human could ever love so unconditionally, so selflessly, and I had killed her. I deserved to be in hell, to be punished for this unspeakable act. The crimes of my past paled greatly in comparison to that of my final transgression. I deserved never to see her again. 

My thoughts were cut short as I collided roughly with the ground. I lay still, taking a moment to prepare myself for whatever sight I might behold once I opened my eyes. There were sounds, voices, seemingly thousands of them. I slowly opened my eyes and surveyed my surroundings. I lay upon a stretch of rocky ground, dry and broken with the passing of many feet. Before me, in the gloom I could make out a vast black gate of iron and stone, flung wide with the passage of many bodies whose voices cried out with hate and pain, in a constant state of unrest. I looked up to the arch above the broken way and saw that there were words carved into the stone. _Through me the way is to the city dolent;  
through me the way is to eternal dole;  
through me the way among the people lost.  
Justice incited my sublime Creator;  
Created me divine Omnipotence,  
The highest Wisdom and the primal Love.  
Before me there were no created things,  
only eterne and I eternal last.  
All hope abandon, ye who enter in!_

My eyes widened at the words there written, my thoughts flashing to a fleeting memory of a passage in a book, the inferno, the gateway into hell. So, I would end up in hell after all. Though I had expected no less, the thought pained me, to know that I would never again behold my beloved angel. I deserved no less, that in itself would be torture enough. No, nothing could ever be punishment enough. I stood then, determined to accept my fate, however horrible. I strode forward, resolute, the last of my heart breaking as I cast all hope aside of ever being with my Bella again, knowing that heaven would be kind to her, and walked through the gate. 

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AN: I hope to have the next chapter out sometime in the next week. Hopefully work will slow down and I will have more time to spend at home. The next chapter will be titled "Broken Spirits" In it you will find out what Edward's punishment in hell will be, and will begin to find out what Bella is, and exactly what Edward is being punished for. 


	3. Broken Spirits

-1AN: Sorry it's taken so long to get this out. I've been working on it when I can, life seems to have other ideas however. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, new moon, or their characters. They are all the property of Stephenie Meyer.

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And death shall have no dominion.

Dead men naked they shall be one

With the man in the wind and the west moon

When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone,

They shall have stars at elbow and foot,

Though they go mad, they shall be sane,

Thought they sink through the sea they shall rise again,

Though lovers be lost love shall not;

And death shall have no dominion.

And death shall have no dominion

Under the windings of the sea

They lying long shall not die windily

Twisting on racks when sinews give way

Strapped to a wheel yet they shall not break

Faith in their hands shall snap in two

And the unicorn evils run them through

Split all ends up they shan't crack

And death shall have no dominion

And death shall have no dominion

No more may gulls cry at their ears

Or waves break loud on the seashores

Where blew a flower may a flower no more

Lift its head to the blows of the rain

Though they be mad and dead as nails

Heads of the characters hammer through daisies

Break in the sun till the sun breaks down

And death shall have no dominion

"Dylan Thomas"

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Previously:

_I strode forward, resolute, the last of my heart breaking as I cast all hope aside of ever being with my Bella again, knowing that heaven would be kind to her, and walked through the gate._

Chapter 3: Broken Spirits

Edward POV:

I stumbled my way over the broken stones of the walkway, a thick, viscous fog obscuring any vision of what lay ahead. All around me I could hear the shuffle of many feet, a large crowd by the sound. Their voices rising in a mixture of anguished grief and angered screams of violence, blending together in a single rhythm of pain, my own voice however, was silent. I, unlike the others, knew my presence here was just, and that my punishment could never equal the severity of my crimes.

I quickened my pace, moving forward through the gloom, my mind, unbidden, playing memories over and over in my head, memories of her, of the first time I saw her, our first conversation, our first "date" after I had saved her in Port Angeles, That first day in the meadow when we had declared our love for one another. I could hear a soft whispering in the back of my mind, though too softly for me to make out any words, a faint buzzing noise that seemed to grow louder as I went on. It wasn't the thoughts of those I was with, I hadn't been able to hear anyone's thoughts since I'd arrived here, and this wasn't the same sensation as when I could hear them before. It was a dull throbbing sensation, bordering almost on pain.

Other memories came then, painful ones, when James took her, the day I left her, and finally, of how I'd killed her. As the last memory flashed its way into my thoughts, the pain became intense and a loud hiss rose out of the whispers "Murderer." I couldn't disagree with it, I _was_ a murderer. I had taken countless lives as the monster I am, though none so precious as the last. I looked up then and saw that the fog had lifted and I could see ahead a short way in the dark.

The ground began to slope downward sharply to the bank of a great river and, as I had guessed, a large crowd of people waited nervously at it's edge. It was the river Acheron, across which lay the uppermost circle of hell. I looked past the crowd, out across the waters and became aware of a large boat swiftly approaching. In it, stood a black robed figure, a single oar held fast in his gnarled, bony hands as he steered the boat across the vast waters to the shore. His cloak was of a heavy sackcloth, falling in large folds to where it met the floor, his hood falling over his face, concealing it in the dim light. It was Charon the ferryman, whose duty it was to carry the souls of the damned into hell. The boat came to a sudden stop, the keel scraping across the thick mud and rocks of the bank. He raised a hand, beckoning us, and the frightened souls began to slowly straggle into the boat, Charon waiting silently for us to board. He looked up at me then, noticing my silent observation.

"You who lingers there, make haste" his voice rasped in dry, croaking whispers, like the sound of many stones being ground into dust. "The hour of your judgment is at hand, to delay will not lessen your punishment." I then noticed that I was the only one who remained on the shore. I silently obeyed, stepping swiftly into the boat and settling myself on my knees in its bough, staring out into the vast darkness across the waters with dead eyes. The boat sped away then, crossing the waters smoothly, leaving barely a ripple in its wake. Charon stared at me from under his hood, studying me intently as he began to speak.

"You come quietly for one of your kind, your kind are usually more… violent in their crossing, indignant and angry. It seems almost, as if you desire this fate."

"I accepted this fate long ago, and no punishment conceivable in heaven, nor hell could do justice to the evil I have done. I go to my torment freely, willingly."

"You will feel differently soon. Upon the further shore, something worse than Minos waits to judge you, and they will be none too happy with your complicity. They rather enjoy the struggle I think" he laughed then, a harsh gravelly sound. The opposite shore loomed suddenly into view, bleak and ominous and the others around us began to shake violently in fear. I stood then, stepping out onto the bank as soon as the boat was near enough. The buzzing in the back of my mind becoming clearer, and I was able to pick out three distinct voices, though still, I could not decipher any words.

"I wont, I deserve far worse than I could ever receive. Nothing could ever change my mind about that." I said, looking over my shoulder at him as I climbed the steep, slime covered path. I stumbled then, the voices in my head ringing out sharply in a seething hiss.

"Murderer."

"Betrayer."

"Oath breaker"

My hands moved to clench the sides of my head as I staggered to my knees, the visions of her dead face surging to my mind once again. As suddenly as the voices were there, they were gone, fading to the background back into the soft buzzing of before. I stood then, straining to regain my footing, and resumed my climb, Images of her ,cold and lifeless, playing ceaselessly in my mind. The pain they caused was unbearable, and not for the first time in my existence, I wished in vain that I could cry.

When I turned my eyes back to the path before me, I was met with a startling vision. Standing there before me, was Minos. A giant of a man, if man you could call him. He towered over me, his massive arms and torso knotted with thick muscles that could easily put Emmett to shame. His head was that of a horned bull, his face twisted, and terrible to behold. Trialing behind him, was the great length of his tail which he used to determine the destination of the damned by the number of times he wound it about his body. I stood before him waiting silently, my eyes, devoid of emotion locked upon his frightening face, and waited.

He snarled then, fire streaming from his nostrils as he sneered down at me from his great height, his voice harsh as he growled down at me. "Your sins are few for one of your kind demon, though still enough to earn your place in several circles. You are doomed to reside here by your very nature, as are all of your kind. However, _your_ fate is not for me to decide, but for the furies to determine. Great sin indeed you must have done to have been charged to them."

Another wave of pain assaulted me as the voices seethed back to the surface of my mind again and I screamed in pain, my hands flying once again to my temples. A vision of my beloved flashing before my eyes, her cold lifeless body lying in my arms. "Murderer!"

"Betrayer!"

"Oath Breaker!"

The voices screamed into my mind with cold fury. I sank to my knees, whimpering in pain as the image of what I'd done replayed over and over again before my eyes, the voices in a constant chant now. My hands moved to cover my head as I pressed my forehead to the ground. I cried out then, tortured sobs wracking my body as I watched myself murder my love and, for the first time in nearly a century, tears began to stream from my eyes.

Never before had I so ruthlessly hated this thing that I am, the monster inside me. I clawed at my eyes, trying to rid myself of the sight before me, of the pain that the words caused. I was struck suddenly with an even sharper pain and I froze, paralyzed. I lay still for a moment, the visions fading slowly as the voices once again retreated to the back of my mind. My sobs quieted though the tears still flowed freely, I moved my hands then, placing them palm down on the ground at my sides as I slowly lifted my eyes to the place where Minos had stood.

I cringed at the sight before me. There, behind him, stood three black winged creatures, female in form, their pallid skin glowing in the dim light that surrounded us. They were scantily clad, wearing thin gauze-like cloths soaked in blood, a long blood red cape swirled behind them down to their clawed talon-like feet. They were armed each with a whip of serpents clasped tightly in their clawed hands. Their appearance was savage, and wild, their faces hideously contorted into an evil sneer, and blood dripped in ceaseless rivulets from their crimson eyes. Adorning each of their heads, was a thick crown of snakes that writhed and coiled, ready to strike, and each of them had a large snake coiled about their waist. Sisters they were, Alecto, the unceasing anger, Megaera, the grudging, and Tisiphone, the blood avenger; the furies. I pushed myself up to stand before them, awaiting judgment. The one in the middle met my gaze as the voice rang out sharply once again

"Murderer! This pain is but a preview of what awaits you demon"

They moved toward me then, two of them taking hold of my arms as if to hold me in place, their claws tearing roughly into me. It was a needless act, I wouldn't be running anywhere. Minos stood back, observing with a troubled expression as I stood there, unmoving with silent tears streaming down my face.

"Alecto…he cries. How comes this? It is a task impossible for his kind, no matter how great the pain,… yet...it is so."

"Pay it no mind Minos, it is but a poorly attempted plea for mercy, a trick to deceive us. You know as well as I that no vampire can cry. They feel no remorse, it is their purpose to deceive and destroy. This one's deception goes beyond that of any."

"Yes Minos, he is charged to us, have a care to mind your own charges, lest your duty be found lacking. His tears are a ploy, a desperate gamble for leniency. He seeks mercy where none exists."

"Take care yourself Tisiphone, lest your thirst for vengence cloud your wits."

Their voices were but harsh resonant whispers, like the hissin of many snakes. I spoke then, my voice choked between sobs. "I am deserving of any such fate as you should choose a thousand times over. My love is dead, her blood on my lips, and for that, I could never atone. I have done the greatest evil, to the one thing which was good and pure and true on the earth. My punishment is just, I ask not for mercy. Do your worst, though even that could never equal my crime."

It was Megaera who spoke in answer. "Silence demon, you would do well to hold your tongue. We shall be the judges of what you deserve, and what is just. It is to the Malebolge for you foul thing, the bottom of the pit, Cocytus. A place befitting such a traitor as yourself."

"Nay Megaera, this I cannot allow" Minos stepped before them, blocking their way " His soul is repentant, Hell is home to souls who show no remorse for their misdeeds, for those who realize them not. Clearly, he recognizes the wrongs he has done, and he mourns them. For this he should be able to atone for them. It is to Purgatory he should be sent. The frozen lake should not receive him."

At this I was thrown roughly face first onto the rocky ground again, one of the sisters, Megaera, pinning me there with her large talon-like foot. "You dare to challenge us?"

Alecto stepped towards him then, standing tall with her shoulders back, her wings spread wide, chin raised in defiance..

"It is no care of ours if he is repentant or not, he is charged to us, and we shall punish him according to his crimes. Ours is an errand of justice, mercy has no place in our realm, regardless, none of his kind are permitted entrance to the blessed realm. Purgatory would be pointless for one such as him. He has betrayed his oath of love, and murdered the one he called his own, this alone would earn his place in our charge, though in less wrath. His beloved, was the incarnation of a divine messenger, one of the archeiai, for this, no amount of remorse can atone. The murder of an angel…is unforgivable. Step aside Minos, and you will not suffer our wrath"

He backed away, turning slowly to return to his task of judging the damned souls as they arrived on the shore. "Very well, Alecto, though I fear your brand of justice will be your undoing ere the end."

"Let not your worries be for us, but for your own task, we answer to none. Come sisters, our errand awaits"

There was a blinding pain in my shoulders as Megaera grasped them in her talons, the claws piercing their way through as her grip tightened. My eyes squeezed shut, and I felt a strong rush of wind about me as I was pulled sharply upward, the beat of her wings creating a gale force as we rose higher from the ground. The pain in my shoulders intensified as the weight of my body hung, helplessly in her grasp. My jaw clenched at the added pain, but I did not cry out. No, this mere physical pain paled in comparison to the torment I was undergoing in my mind. The now unceasing images of those last moments with my beloved, my Bella. "Betrayer" I had broken her heart, her spirit, "Oath breaker"I had betrayed my vow of love, and broken my vow of keeping her safe…"Murderer" I had killed her.

I stared out before me, my vision blurred with tears as we flew, the screams of torture and fear, and the foul stench of blood, death, and human excrement were strong even at such a great height. We flew for an indeterminable amount of time, the pain in my shoulders barely registering. My body was all but numb, my grief taking over completely, drowning me.

We slowed slightly, flying over the tall outer walls and battlements of a great city of stone and flame. The city of Dis, at the center of which, lay the entrance to the pit, the Malebolge it was called, and Cocytus, the frozen lake. As we passed over the city, we slowly began to descend, the crackle of fires and the smell of burning flesh, and boiling blood overwhelmed all of my senses. My body wretched with dry heaves at the stench. Just ahead loomed a forest of dead trees, each with a rotting corpse caught in it's boughs, the souls of the suicides, trapped forever within the form of trees, forced to watch for eternity the wasting away of their bodies as a reminder of what they had done to themselves, their voices unable to mourn or cry out unless a branch be broken from the tree. Past the forest lay a vast desert, littered with people writhing in agony in the blistering sand as flakes of fire rained down upon them.

As we passed the last stretch of desert, a vast chasm opened wide beneath us and we began to descend at a rapid rate, plunging quickly into its icy depths. We moved past vast ditches filled with souls in various stages of torment, the speed at which we were moving making it impossible to tell where one ended and another began, the echoing cries of the damned becoming louder and more desperate as the punishments became worse as we descended.

As we reached the final circle, we passed through a ring of giants, standing guard over the edge of the deepest recesses of the pit lest anything should attempt an escape. We descended this last depth and I was suddenly falling, dropped into the vile, icy waters of Cocytus. I was drawn to my feet by some unseen force as the waters hardened into ice around me, encasing me to my waist, my hands trapped within the ice at my sides. All at once I was assaulted with the visions, the voices, my mind a whirl of blood and fear, grief and pain. The tears flowed in rivers from my closed eyes as I sobbed endlessly for my lost love, for what I had done. My senses were suddenly assaulted with her scent, and my eyes flew open…she wasn't there, she would never be there again.

The three furies circled me, their voices, their cruel laughter pounding in my mind, forcing me to hear, to see them. The whips they held unmercifully tore into the flesh of my back as they came down in harsh strokes, my mind reeling as they continued their assault. I could see her, my Bella, lying dead in my arms, feel the brush of her lips across my cheek, her arms embracing me. Her scent was all around me, the taste of her blood on my lips, the voices in my head a maddening roar now. I wailed in terror, my voice a thunderous roar as I screamed out in pain and inconsolable grief, unceasing tears flowing from my unseeing eyes as I was forever lost to pain and madness. I was broken.

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Ok, so sorry once again it took so long to get this out, and that there wasn't any Bella in this one. I was going to put her in but I thought it would make the chapter a bit long, its already up to 9 pages. Anyways, The next chapter will be Bella POV and I will have it up as soon as life allows, hopefully in less time than this one took. Please review!


	4. Tears of Heaven

-1AN: This chapter, and Edwards POV (Broken Spirits) are happening simultaneously, this is what Bella is experiencing as she finds her way to heaven, as Edward is taken into hell.

Sorry once again I have taken so long to update, I hope you all enjoy the chapter. Please read and review! And thank you to all of you who have sent reviews!! Your opinions really mean a lot to me!

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own them; I only take them out to play once in a while. I promise I'll give them back when I'm finished!

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I believe that god above, created you for me to love

He chose you out of all the rest, because he knew that I'd love you the best,

I had a heart and it was true, and I have given it to you,

Take care of it like I have done; now you have two and I have none,

If I should die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you,

If I go to heaven and you're not there, I'll write your name on the golden stair,

If you're not there on Judgment day, I'll know you went the other way,

I'll give the angels back their wings, their harps, and all their golden things;

And just to prove my love is true, I'll go to hell to be with you.

"Unknown"

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Previous BPOV:

"_NOOOOOO!" I screamed, "Edward!" No! Fight back damn you!" I screamed in hysterics. "Jake stop, please!" He didn't even scream in pain as the wolf began to rip into him. The scene faded before my eyes as I heard him whisper "I'll be with you soon my angel" as the wolf continued tearing him to shreds, my voice screaming out in horror at the scene before me, as my former best friend murdered the love of my life before my very eyes as everything faded once again to blackness._

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Chapter 4:

I drifted slowly upward, unaware of any time passing me by, aware only of the grief weighing me down. At first I wondered if I might have fainted, then I realized, spirits probably couldn't faint. I supposed that's what I was, a spirit, I was dead after all. I had tried to reach out to Edward, tried to stop him, but he was completely unaware of my presence. When I'd touched him, my hand had passed right through, come to think of it…now that I tried it I couldn't even touch my own hand, there was no hand there to touch. I was bodiless, dead, my soul wandering.

There was nothing now, only a darkness that seemed to fill my entire being. I couldn't see anything of where I was. I was surrounded in a thick black fog of silence, the only light a tiny pinprick, like a single star high above me. I didn't care. I didn't care about anything anymore, I'd just watched the very reason for my entire existence ripped to shreds before my very eyes, and it was my fault. These thoughts continued to torment me. I let the grief take over, wave upon wave crashing into me, unrelenting. I clenched my eyes shut, a scream of pain and horror building slowly within me, my mouth opening to release the scream as I slowly opened my eyes… but no sound came.

I was assaulted suddenly with an intense white light, blinding and beautiful in its brilliance and I gasped. It was everywhere, exploding into thousands of glittering rays as it reflected off of unseen surfaces. I could see nothing else, talk about being blinded by the light. I would be surprised if I could ever see anything again. I felt a warm tingling sensation, and I was filled with an overwhelming sense of peace, and strength. I could feel the light moving through me, becoming a part of me, as the tingling sensation grew stronger. I reached out; I could feel my hands again. My body was slowly reforming around me, not the way I had looked when I died, but my younger self, My 17 year old self, only without all the flaws I had possessed as a human. My skin was flawless, smooth; my body was toned to perfection. I was…beautiful.

The tingling in my body shifted then, intensifying suddenly into Two points between the blades of my shoulders and bursting forth in a brilliant array of sparkling white that spread far to either side of my body. A weight settled there and I stumbled back a bit, trying to regain my balance. _Great,_ I thought, _I'm even clumsy in the afterlife, some things just never change. _I was startled from my thoughts by a burst of musical laughter. I turned quickly, and found myself face to face with, well, an angel.

He was tall, muscular, his perfect body clad in flowing white. He looked at me with piercing blue eyes, partially hidden behind a curtain of chestnut hair, an amused smile playing on his lips. "Still as clumsy as ever." he laughed again, "I guess some things just never change"

I stared back at him, confused. _Did I know him? He certainly seemed to know me. What was this place, and where was Edward? _All of these questions swirled in my mind as I continued to stare dumbly at the angelic face before me. He was unbelievably beautiful; still, he didn't hold a candle to Edward. Finally my mind allowed a question to form, and I spoke hesitantly. "Do…do I know you? What is this place?"

I gazed, awestruck, at my surroundings. I was standing on a path of smooth, white stone, its polished surface reflecting the light in millions of sparkling rays. I was reminded at once of Edward, his perfect skin glittering like a million diamonds in the afternoon sun. A pang of grief tugged at my heart at the thought of him. The path rose steadily, winding its way up to the top of a green hill, covered in white and gold flowers. I raised my eyes to the hilltop, and my breath caught as my heart skipped a beat. Standing there in a halo of sunshine, was a city carved of the same stone as the pathway, it's towers glittering in countless facets of rainbow colored light reflected in every direction.

"You really can't guess?" He answered, his words edged with an amused laughter.

"Is…is this Heaven?" I asked, my gaze still fixed on the city, reflected in all its glory against the cloudless blue sky. He placed a hand on my shoulder turning me to face him and smiled down at me.

"Yes, you're home, back where you belong, with your own kind."

I looked up at him, my forehead creased in confusion. "My own kind? …I don't understand what you mean."

"You're an angel, Bella, or, I suppose I should call you Charity, now that you're back"

"Charity?"

"It's your name, Charity, you're an Archeia, and to answer your other question, yes you do know me, I am Chamuel, your brother. You'll remember everything soon enough." he took my hand then, leading me up the path to the city. I jerked my hand quickly from his grasp.

"No, my name is Bella. I don't know who you are or what you think you know, but I do know who I am." I was angry "I can't be an angel; I'm just a normal human."

"Then what do you call those?" He pointed over my shoulder, a bemused smile on his face "because, I would say that they're wings, and normal humans…don't get them."

I turned my head as I spoke, "What are you talking about? I don't have…Holy Crow!" I gasped at the sight. Protruding from the backs of my shoulders were two very large, snow white wings. Well, that explained the sudden weight that had me stumbling backwards. "I'm….an angel? Wait…you said you're my brother?"

"Yes, I am the archangel Chamuel, and you are my sister, the archeai Charity. Together, we are the embodiment of God's divine love. It is our task to assist souls in matters of the heart, of compassion, balanced love of self, and extension of oneself to others. You were sent to earth in human form on an errand of your own choosing. We were against your going, but you were quite adamant. You were there longer than expected. It was a valiant attempt, though in vain."

I began following him up the path, trying to understand everything I was being told, my grief an ever present reminder of what I should be looking for, Edward. "My own choosing?"

"Yes," he sighed, "we received a prayer for assistance from someone, well, unexpected. The damned usually don't pray at all, yet ..."

I interrupted then. "The damned?"

"Yes, a demon soul, a vampire. Creatures of murder and destruction, yet this one seemed different than most. His prayer was sincere, for his son; well for one he called a son. Apparently, this particular vampire didn't believe in feeding on humans, and his son had strayed from his teachings for a time…"

"You're talking about Carlisle….and Edward."

"Yes I am, now can I finish without any more interruptions? My, if being human didn't make you extremely impatient." he chuckled.

"Sorry, continue please" I said, looking up at him sheepishly, a slight blush tinting my cheeks.

"As I was saying, his son had strayed, returning soon though with extreme guilt at his actions." the last came out with poorly hidden sarcasm "He thought himself a monster, which I might say he is, unworthy of living, and of love. He loathed himself for what he had done, keeping always to himself, secluding himself from others. His father prayed to us, to open his heart to love, to his family. I dismissed it thoroughly; such creatures do not feel remorse. You however, were intrigued. You believed he was sincere, that these vampires were different; you wanted to help, to save them. So you went, against our better judgment, to earth. As I said, a valiant effort on your part, though a wasted one, as we predicted."

"What do you mean wasted? The Cullens really are different than other vampires. They're good, nice people. They shouldn't be sent to hell for having to live an existence that none of them chose! They don't want to be monsters; they spend their entire existence fighting their natural instincts to try to be good, to not hurt people."

"Yes and we ALL know how well that turned out, don't we" he said, looking at me pointedly.

Oh god, this was my fault. I had done this; I had doomed Edward to hell by forcing him to kill me. I had to fix this. "That was my fault, not his. I forced his hand."

"It makes no difference; he would have ended up there anyways for simply being what he is. His torment will be excruciating enough for killing you, it would have been tenfold what it is now had he changed you. You were supposed to help him, not fall in love with him. You're in a great amount of trouble for all the upset you've caused, now let's go." We were nearing the gates to the city now, its sparkling glasslike walls looming before us.

"Will, will I see Edward when we get there?" I asked hopefully, I had to make this right for him.

"No Ch…" I glared at him, stopping the name on his lips, "Bella, his kind are not permitted to ever set foot in heaven, he is on his own path as we speak, the path to his own judgment."

"NO! I want to see him, I need to see him. I'm not going anywhere until I do!"

"Charity!"

"NO! Now Chamuel, where is he?"

"You're not going to like it; it will only cause you more grief. Why would you do this over one such as him?"

"Because, like it or not "brother" I love him. Now show me." He walked to the right of the large silver gate that led into the sparkling city and touched his hand against the stone. The wall darkened suddenly, fading to a shadowy light. I could see nothing at first but a thick fog that seemed filled with the murmur of many pained voices. I listened intently for the one voice I wanted to hear, I couldn't find it. Suddenly the fog cleared, and there he was. He walked slowly, his face filled with sadness, his eyes staring blindly ahead unseeing. His face changed then; anguish covering every angelic feature like a thick blanket.

A dull throbbing was beginning to creep into my head, like the beginnings of a headache. _Could angels get headaches? _I wondered. I shook the thought from my head as I continued to watch him. He stopped suddenly, and as he did a sharp pain ran its way through my head and was quickly gone. He looked ahead then, resuming his walk, noticing for the first time that the fog had lifted; he stumbled determinedly down a sharp bank of rock to the edge of a river, where he stood watching the people gathered there.

A boat approached, and the crowd began to board, he stood watching. The ferryman spoke to him, chiding him on his slowness, he stepped forward silently, sinking to his knees once he was in the boat, his eyes once again staring blankly ahead. The man spoke once again.

"You come quietly for one of your kind, your kind are usually more… violent in their crossing, indignant and angry. It seems almost, as if you desire this fate."

He answered then, his voice flat, devoid of any emotion. "I accepted this fate long ago, and no punishment conceivable in heaven, nor hell could do justice to the evil I have done. I go to my torment freely, willingly."

My heart broke at his words; surely he couldn't believe that he deserved hell. No, he belonged in heaven, with the other angels. His voice broke through the haze of my thoughts once again as I heard his next words.

"I deserve far worse than I could ever receive. Nothing could ever change my mind about that." No sooner had the words left his mouth, than he stumbled, sinking to his knees his hands raised to the sides of his head. My own actions mirrored his as, at that moment a sharp pain stabbed into my mind, causing me to fall to the ground in pain, a ragged scream escaping my lips.

"Charity! Are you alright? What's wrong?" Chamuel was at my side in an instant, helping me to my feet as I struggled to catch my breath.

"I…I don't know. I felt….pain, in my head." He looked at me, incredulously.

"You can _feel _his pain? How is your bond with one such as him so strong? He's a _demon_ he doesn't feel love, how can you love him so strongly as to _feel _his pain?"

"You speak of things you have no understanding of; he does feel love, perhaps more strongly than any being in existence. How can you hate him so? How can you have such hate for something you could never understand?"

"He's a _demon_ Charity! What's so hard to understand? Demons are our mortal enemies!"

I lashed out now, furious at his narrow-mindedness. "Stop calling me Charity! My name is BELLA! And he's NOT a DEMON! He's kind, and wonderful, and beautiful, and I LOVE HIM! My voice broke as I was once again assaulted with blinding pain in my head, causing me to fall once again to the ground, my hands covering my head as it rested against the cool grass. It was horrible, the pain he was in. I felt tears well in my eyes, half of anger, and half at the pain he was going through. My eyes stung with the intensity of my sobs, but no tears came. I couldn't understand it, I could feel the tears in my eyes, feel their heat, but they didn't fall.

"Chamuel, what's wrong with me, why can't I cry?" my voice was muffled by the ground, and by my arms that covered my head, but still he heard.

He knelt beside me then, a concerned look on his face, "Tears do not fall in heaven sister, there is no place for sadness here." he touched my arm then, pulling them from my head.

"But I AM sad, and even though no tears fall, I cry. I love him, and he's in so much pain." my voice was choked with sobs. The pain sharpened again, causing me to cry out, my eyes flying quickly back to the wall to see what was happening. He lay on the ground, breathless, sobs wracking his body, his hands covering his head. The pain faded slowly to a dull throb. He moved then, placing his hands on the rock beneath him to push himself to his feet. He raised his face to look ahead and I gasped, my hand covering my mouth. There, streaming endlessly from his eyes, were tears. I looked up at Chamuel then; his face shocked beyond belief, his voice a whisper as he spoke.

"Impossible….he can't….vampires cannot cry. How is this?" his voice trailed off then as he looked to me, understanding suddenly. "Amazing, your love is indeed strong, such a bond has never been seen before, and for it to exist for one of his kind is quite remarkable. You feel his pain as it were your own, even in heaven where pain cannot exist, you cry, where tears cannot fall. But, they do fall, though not from your own eyes. The tears he cries, are your own, unstopped even by the power of heaven….You were right."

"Then he can be saved?" I asked, hope rising anew within me, only to be crushed at his next words.

"No, his sin…the murder of an angel, is irredeemable. No amount of atonement can wash clean this sin. He has been given to the furies for punishment"

"That act has been forgiven him; the sin…was my own. I forced his hand. He was resisting, he was leaving me again…I wanted to die. I cut myself, knowing he hadn't fed. It was the only way I could be with him forever. He shouldn't be punished for my sin. I have to save him."

"But sister, he cannot be saved. There is no force that can allow him entrance to heaven, save GOD, and his judgment is final in this matter. None of his kind can enter here. Your forgiveness is not enough to redeem him."

A fierce pain stabbed through my shoulder then and a tortured cry escaped my lips, the stinging in my eyes intensifying, unrelenting. "Then I'll free him myself, or share his fate forever in the attempt. I'll not leave him to them."

"You will have to fall, to enter that realm. You would turn your back forever on heaven, to suffer beside him in hell?"

I raised my eyes to meet his then, defiant in my gaze, my jaw set. "Yes." And with that single word, the ground beneath my feet disappeared and I was swallowed in darkness so deep no light could pierce it. I was falling, cast from heaven, to the depths below. An angel still, though no longer worthy of grace. The pain in my shoulder was fading, being replaced by searing slashes across my back. I could feel my sobs becoming more intense, and I knew that, wherever he was, whatever was being done to him, my tears would be flowing in rivers from his eyes. With that thought in my mind, and his pain wracking every inch of my body, my resolve was clear. I would find him, I would make this right. My breath was knocked suddenly from my body as I crashed onto dry, broken ground. The same ground he had lain on a short time ago.

I stood, squaring my shoulders defiantly as I gazed upon the blackened gate. Nothing, neither heaven nor hell, could keep me from him, our love would endure all things. "I'll be with you soon, my angel" My lips echoed his promise as I strode determinedly through the gates of hell.

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AN: Ok, I hope that explained a few things to any of you who might have been confused. I am SO sorry it has taken me so long to update this. Like I said before, real life just seems to get in the way. I'm putting in a lot of overtime at work so between that and my kids I don't have much time to do this. I will try to have the next chapter up soon. Not sure if I'm going to stretch the last bit out for two more chapters or just the one. Depends on how fast I get it written I guess. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed reading this! Please read and review! I love hearing your opinions!


	5. An angels wrath

AN: I am SO SO Sorry it has taken so dreadfully long to update this. I have been extremely busy lately and I really don't get to work on this as much as I'd like to. We have spent the past week getting everything ready for my daughters 4th birthday this weekend and believe me it can get pretty crazy. Anyways I hope you all enjoy the next chapter. I just wanted to add also that for the purpose of this story, I have based my concepts of the different levels of hell mainly on Dante's account of hell in "The Inferno", the first book in his work "The Divine Comedy". Reviews and flames are most welcome! I love hearing your thoughts as always.

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own any of the books in the Twilight series or their characters, nor am I making any profit from the writing of this story.

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_Previously: BPOV_

_I stood, squaring my shoulders defiantly as I gazed upon the blackened gate. Nothing, neither heaven nor hell, could keep me from him, our love would endure all things. "I'll be with you soon, my angel" My lips echoed his promise as I strode determinedly through the gates of hell._

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Chapter 5:

I stumbled my way through the fog, my feet catching over the large uneven stones that made up the road, my mind in chaos. I was slowly beginning to remember everything of my existence, of what I was, the work I had done, and my reasoning behind my "mission" to earth. The truth of it was that it had been more than intrigue that had drawn me to Edward and his family. I had observed the family closely after receiving the prayer, and if I was honest with myself, I had fallen in love with him, with all of them, long before any decision I had made to help.

The ground was swiftly sloping downwards, and I knew that soon the fog would lift, and I would find myself at the shore of the river. I could hear the din of voices around me in the fog, crying out their pain and sorrow. I ignored them; the only thing that mattered was finding Edward. I couldn't afford to get caught up in the emotions this place evoked; I couldn't lose my nerve, for his sake as well as for my own.

This place was already beginning to take its toll on me, the sadness and pain were overwhelming, and there in the forefront of it all, were the burning slashes I could feel across my back, arms, and shoulders, and the pounding I could feel in my head. My whole body shook with each wave of pain and my steps faltered, my legs almost giving out beneath me. It was _his_ pain.

It was that thought alone that kept me moving. That was all I really needed to know, he was in pain, and I had to stop it no matter the cost. With every pain I felt, my determination increased. I pushed the pain aside as I felt a new onslaught of tears sting my eyes. I quickened my pace, nearly jogging over the rough terrain, and praying that my balance wouldn't suddenly fail me. The last thing I needed right now was to fall flat on my face. As the ground began to even out, the fog was lifting and I could see the faint outline of the river about twenty yards away. The multitude was making their way towards its edge in scattered groups to wait near the landing for the boat.

I pressed onward, my slow jog breaking into a run as I neared the landing. I was only a few yards away when my luck finally ran out. My foot caught on an overly large crack in the stone and sent me flying forward onto my hands and knees. I stayed there for a moment, regaining my bearings before attempting to stand. It was then I noticed that the clamor of voices and wailing had come to an abrupt end. I looked up suddenly, a deep blush flooding my cheeks. They stood frozen, their transfixed gazes resting firmly on my prostrate form on the landing. I lowered my face, hiding it from their intense scrutiny. The silence stretched out for several moments, when suddenly a hoarse, gravelly voice broke through.

"Tarry not here, the further shore awaits, come now, to your judgments."

I looked up to see Charon observing the crowd from within his boat. The crowd began at once to disperse, making their way quickly to board casting wary glances at me over their shoulders as they progressed. I pushed myself up from the ground brushing the dust from my scraped hands and knees as I walked over the landing to the edge of the boat. Charon was turned already to the crowd of souls aboard the boat, unaware of my presence, chastising them further for his wait. He paused his rant, annoyed, when he saw them looking not at him, but over his shoulder with fearful expressions lining their faces.

"What troubles you upon this shore? Tis the further that should grieve you so." He turned abruptly then to find me stepping into the small space that was left in the boat. His voice faltered then as his hood fell back from his face and he fell to his knees kneeling before me. My breath caught and I froze momentarily. His face was startling to say the least. His deep red eyes glowed luminously against the bleached white bones of his skull, and a thick mane of silver hair flowed down over his shoulders… I was reminded at once of the many descriptions I had heard of the grim reaper. He bowed his head then as he spoke.

"Forgive me lady; I was unaware of your approach. What grace brings you hither, to bless us with your glorious light? A rare hour is this. Tell me, lady, how may I serve you"? I was surprised at his gentle speech toward me compared to the ranting he directed at the others but then, I suppose he didn't see many angels around here.

"Nothing but to carry me across the river. You don't have to kneel, it isn't grace that brings me, my grace has left me. My fate is upon the further shore."

The boat began moving across the waters as he looked up again, rising to his feet startled and deeply saddened at my reply. "A rare day indeed. It has been an age since one of your kind crossed these waters, and never one with such acceptance. You are cast from heaven, yet you do not seem to grieve it. What, lady, may I ask do you seek yonder? No evil have you done, your light has not completely faded, only dimmed. You come here by choice, not by deed."

It was then that I noticed the faint glow that still emanated from my body, a small stab of light in the otherwise dreary atmosphere.

"I have come to save one whom I have loved greatly, and who loves me. He is punished unjustly for my own indiscretion."

"Ah, it is love's light that you bear. A strong love it must be to endure even here where there can be no joy. Though I have doubt you will succeed in freeing him,

I bid you good speed on your task. May your light serve as some small comfort to those within, however fleeting." He said to me, as the boat came to a halt upon the further shore.

"I won't fail, I can't. We _will_ be together for eternity, whatever fate we share." and with that I turned to climb the steep, rocky path to where Minos awaited.

Much of the crowd had already dispersed when I arrived at the top, sent to whatever fates their deeds had earned them. I waited patiently until the last of them had gone, before I approached. I knew from what Chamuel had shown me that Minos was against Edward's punishment, but whether or not he would help me was another thing entirely. Even then, there wasn't much more he could do than allow me to pass freely into the next level. I knew already that I was to be permitted to go no further than limbo. All of my kind that were doomed here were destined to remain in limbo, the outer circle. Our punishment was not physical; it was merely to wander for eternity unable to ever be in the presence of GOD or heaven.

As I approached, Minos looked at me with wonder.

"My lady, It has been an age since I last greeted one of your kind. Your light betrays you, what evil has befallen you that you should come here of your own will? For no fallen angel can bear light."

I looked up into his awestruck face as I replied.

"I turned from heaven to follow my own heart. It has led me here, and to the distance beyond. I seek my love, I have to free him. He shouldn't be here, the sin was mine. I cannot leave him to _them_, he has done no wrong."

He started, his shock turning quickly to understanding.

"You seek the one the furies have in keeping, the demon that cries with remorse for his deeds, the vampire."

I drew myself up to my full height, anger flashing in my eyes at his words.

"He is not a demon! His heart is good, and pure. Do not speak badly of him, he has done nothing wrong!" He took a step back as he replied.

"My apologies lady, I meant no disrespect. Indeed, that he can feel such emotion is remarkable for one of his kind. I was against his going to _them_, though in this matter I have no authority. I wish I could have been of more help." He looked down in defeat and my voice softened.

"You can be." He looked up at me then, shock and fear filling his face.

"No! I dare not. This judgment I cannot break, there is naught I can do. I am sorry."

"I'm not asking you to save him yourself, but there is something you can do." He looked at me questioningly as I continued. "Let me pass through the gate beyond, let me go to him. You fear the furies' wrath, but I have no fear of them. It is my wrath they will suffer for harming my angel."

He froze his eyes wide, his hideous face twisted into an awed expression. He reminded me momentarily of a deer caught in headlights. "You would be willing to brave such horrors? The lands within are filled with suffering and vile things, you would have to pass undetected by the watchers of the gates, a difficult task for any, though more so for you. They will know you do not belong, and they will try to stop you."

"I am not afraid of them; my only fear is that he should have to endure this pain any longer." It was only a half truth, I _was _afraid of them, but the fear merely strengthened my resolve. I had to be strong, if not for myself, then for Edward. "Tell me where they took him, and let me pass through. I have to help him."

He gave me a long, searching look before stepping aside. "I shall allow it. The furies have taken him to the depths within the city of Dis, to the ninth circle to be frozen in the Cocytus where he will endure his punishment. You should avoid flying if you can help it, though I doubt your presence will go unnoticed for long either way. You may have to fight your way through. I can be of no further assistance to you; you will be on your own once you pass the gates from limbo. Fare you well." He turned then to face the lower bank of the river allowing me to pass unseen by his eyes through the gates.

"Thank you." I whispered softly into the stillness as I moved swiftly away, knowing he could hear me. The second I passed the gate into the second circle I was met with a gale force wind that nearly knocked me off of my feet. It swirled about me sending a hail of dust into the air making it difficult to see or breathe. I leaned forward into the wind pushing my way towards what I hoped was the path to the third gate; it was difficult to make out anything in the swirling dust. . My going was slow, though the ground here was relatively even, smoothed over time by the force of the sands blown by the wind. All around me I could hear the moans of those punished within the storm, the lustful souls tossed forever in the torrential winds never gaining satisfaction.

After a short time, I began to see the outline of another large archway. It had to be gate into the third level. I could make out a large figure standing to one side of the gate. As I got closer I saw just exactly what the figure was….the watcher of the third gate, the Cerberus. I had never seen anything more hideously frightening. The dog was nearly as large as the archway he guarded. Thick oily black fur covered his massive form, his three ferocious heads growling and snarling as they sniffed the air; their large yellow eyes searching me out. They had already caught my scent. Blood and saliva dripped endlessly from their razor sharp fang-like teeth and a mound of fleshless bones was piled at its clawed feet. Suddenly, it stiffened as all three heads snapped my direction, a deep menacing roar issuing from each of its three heads.

I froze as the creature lunged toward me and I stumbled back several steps. I was immensely relieved when I saw it come to an abrupt stop and be jerked back roughly; the sound of metal clanking rang out into the silence. Each of the beasts necks were adorned with a large iron collar, and to each of these was attached a heavy chain that was fastened to the stone wall next to the arch. There was no way I could get past this thing, it would tear me to shreds if I came anywhere near it. "Come on Bella; think….there has to be a way around this." I paced softly back and forth trying to think of anything I could possibly do to sneak by this thing without being mangled. I remembered reading something once, a story in Greek mythology of how Orpheus had lulled it to sleep with music so he could enter the gates of Hades to free his wife.

'_It's worth a shot I guess' _I took a deep breath and began to hum softly the most beautiful song I had ever heard, my lullaby. After what seemed like hours the creature began to visibly relax resting its heads down over its massive paws, its eyes slipping closed as its breathing evened slowly. I continued singing, wanting to be certain it was sleeping heavily before I attempted to sneak past. Once I was satisfied that it was soundly asleep, I tiptoed slowly past its sleeping heads toward the archway, still humming softly. I was a single step away from the door when, wouldn't you know it, my foot caught a loose stone and sent it skipping loudly down the path. All three heads snapped up instantly, their gaze fixed solely on me as it readied itself to lunge at me. I moved as fast as I could leaping the rest of the way through the archway, its hot breath blowing at the backs of my legs as I narrowly escaped its jaws. I sighed in relief as I heard the clang of chains against the walls behind me. I had made it, just barely, but I had made it.

I looked out beyond the archway and cringed. A vast expanse of swampland stretched out as far as the eye could see, a sea of sludge littered with slime covered rock and in it, a sea of faces writhed. The gluttonous in life were punished here, buried in the mud to their necks, doomed to endure the stench as they were forced to eat vile things. An icy rain fell in torrents accompanied by large hail stones, the wind gusting heavily. I steadied myself, taking a step forward into the foul scented waters. The viscous gray mud squelched between my toes and around my foot, I quickly took another step sinking to my ankle now. The viscous mud was creating a suction on my feet, pulling me down further with each step. I was sinking. It was like quicksand, the more you struggle the further you sink and soon I was stuck. I had to find a way out of this and fast before I ended up like the rest of those trapped here. '_Maybe I could fly myself out'_…it was the only option I had left…

I stretched my wings to their full breadth and fluttered them experimentally. The mud was just passing my hips now; I would have to do this and soon or there would be no getting out. I lifted my wings once more and flapped them down hard, creating a strong wind that echoed across the dull landscape. I hadn't budged, I flapped harder. The mud was creeping up my torso, when suddenly the pull began to lessen. It was working, I was pulling myself out. I flapped my wings as quickly as I could, breaking the surface of the viscous muck and stumbling back onto the dry hard ground just outside the arch. I would have to find another way across, I couldn't fly because I would be seen by the watchers and I wanted to avoid having to fight my way through for as long as possible, I still had a long way to go after all.

I sank to the ground catching my breath as I struggled to come up with some way across. The mud and slime clung to my body, the reek filling my senses and making me gag. I retched then as a new surge of pain overtook me. It was getting worse steadily. It would increase to a point and then back off only slightly, engendering a faint hope that it would stop, only to increase exponentially a moment later. My poor Edward, the agony he was in.

I stood up abruptly, scraping the mud from my body as best I could and ventured towards the murky waters once more, this time approaching the closest of the heads. I stepped one foot lightly onto the top of the head, trying my best not to add to his pain and hopped lightly up, my other foot landing not so gracefully upon the top of the head a few feet away, their owners protesting loudly. This could work; I wasn't sinking anymore at least. I focused my eyes towards the distant horizon where I could faintly see the outline of the next archway looming and continued my hop-scotching, hoping no one could see me. I could only imagine how ridiculous I must look, a newly fallen angel all glowy and covered with stinky mud hippity hopping across a sea of heads in the pouring rain. The image sprang to my mind and I would have laughed if not for the blinding pain I, _we_, were in.

I sighed gratefully as I leapt back onto solid ground again having passed unseen. I was feet away from the next archway. I crept forward stealthily, though from what I could tell there was no guard placed at the entrance. I could hear thunderous crashing coming from the other side along with fierce shouting. I peeked through the exit and beheld a series of stone bridges that spanned deep pits, all connected at some point near the center by the path that ran under the arch. At each end of the bridges stood a group of men and women struggling to push a large boulder towards its center. When the boulders would collide and fall into the pit over the edge of the bridge, the laborers would return to their respective sides and start all over again with another boulder.

There was no way I would get across unnoticed, I suppose I would have to risk flying over it and just hope no one saw me. I tiptoed silently back through the archway, turning to the face of the wall and began to climb steadily upward. When I reached the top, I stretched my wings out, leaning over the edge to check for any guards that may be watching and, finding none, I pushed off with my feet as I flapped my wings steadily and rose into the air. Thankfully, the wall was high enough that the sound of my wings went unheard below and a thin layer of cloud hovered just below me, hiding me from view. I was amazed at how fast I could fly, in mere seconds I was standing atop the wall over the arch looking out across the fifth circle to the walls of the city Dis.

I dropped softly down onto the ground below, avoiding any guard that may be at the entrance. Walking slowly forward I could see a wide river, the river Styx. In its midst were hordes of people engaged in violent battle with one another upon the surface of the water, the avaricious, slashing and clawing mercilessly at one another, tinting the water red with the spilling of untold amounts of blood. Weaving carefully around the battlefield was a small skiff with a lone man standing in it. Phlegyas, guardian of the fifth circle. It was his task to ensure passage across the river Styx, or to insure one found their place in it. I walked down to the bank and waved him to me. His approach was slow, the battles raged to either side of him and he had to change course often to avoid being caught up in it.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity of waiting he approached the shore. He said nothing upon his arrival, merely beckoned me onto the vessel and pushed off from the shore. I studied his face intently. He wasn't hideous as most of the guards I had seen here had been, though he wasn't handsome either. His face was ghostlike and utterly ordinary, blank of any emotion or thought, his eyes black pools of onyx. He seemed to stare unseeing into space, moving slowly, almost mechanically. The fighting around us was closing in and I was getting nervous. I stared down into the water below, trying to avoid the sight of the blood being spilled, forgetting that it stained the waters red. Below the water I could see many bodies lying, gurgling deep beneath the surface of the waters, the slothful.

I looked back up again; the further bank seemed no closer than it had before I had looked down. This meandering path across the waters was taking too long. I had to get to Edward, NOW. I couldn't endure this pain much longer, and I knew he wouldn't last much longer without breaking beyond repair. I took a deep breath, and stepped out onto the surface of the waters using my arms and wings to shove my way through the battling warriors.

As I went I managed to acquire a shield to fend off the blades that were becoming increasingly directed at me. I was mostly successful; though a few well aimed strikes had slashed open my left shoulder and hand, as well as the many cuts and slashes to my wings. I screamed in pain with every stroke that hit me, each falling almost in time with the burning pain my Edward was even now enduring. I was running by the time I reached the far shore, my mud covered, blood smeared, body throbbing not only with Edward's pain, but also my own. I staggered forward to the wall before me, having emerged from the river a good 10 meters to the left of the great gate of the city, and leaned against the cold stone, drawing comfort from its coolness as I caught my breath.

I knew at once that trying the gate was no good, it was heavily guarded. I would have to go over the wall and find more indirect route to the center of the city. I turned to face the wall, my fingers scrambling to find a hold in the smooth surface of the stones. Slowly, I pulled myself up my tired aching muscles straining under my weight, pain stabbing through me with every movement. Time seemed to slow as I climbed, minutes stretched out for what seemed like days as the pain only increased with every step until Finally, I reached the top.

I slowly lowered myself over the edge of the wall and dropped down to the paved ground below. The stench that greeted me was overwhelming and I fought to breathe without retching, the smell of burnt flesh. I was in what looked like a large mausoleum. Stone tombs lined the path on either side shrouded in flame. The screams of the burning heretics within echoed thunderously in the passages intensifying the pounding in my head. I quickly turned toward the center of the city and began to weave my way through the scattered maze in as straight a line as I could staying clear from the path and whatever watchful eyes might be upon it. As I neared the arch I could hear heavy footfalls against the pavement. I shrank back from the sound, peering carefully around the end of the tomb behind which I was hiding.

There guarding the seventh gate, was the Minotaur. I decided then and there that, once again, I would avoid confrontation and sneak over the wall. Just like with the Cerberus, I didn't stand a chance against the strength of the Minotaur. I backed away as slowly and silently as I could and crept to the wall, climbing swiftly despite my straining body. From the top of the wall I could see the blood filled river Phlethegon boiling over its banks. A short way up the bank were the beginnings of the forest of suicides, the harpies flying low tearing at the branches releasing the screams of the souls trapped in the trees as the profligates were chased through the thorny undergrowth by ferocious dogs. The farthest reaches of my vision touched lightly upon the burning desert where the blasphemers, false prophets and would-be gods were punished in the scorching sand as flakes of fire rained down upon them eternally.

I dropped unceremoniously from the ledge to the ground, landing in a heap with a dull thud on the rocks below me. I heard rushed footsteps coming from the arch to my right and I quickly climbed to my feet, flapping my wings as I ran towards the river. I took to the air just as the Minotaur emerged from the gate chasing after me in his attempt to stop me. He ran as far as the edge of the river and stopped, there was no crossing the river right now, the ferry was nowhere to be seen. I was safe….for the moment anyways. Just before me loomed the forest and either way I went about crossing it, by foot, or by air, I was going be noticed. I would have to fight now, there was no going back.

I landed quickly at the edge of the tree line making my own path through the thorny undergrowth gaining more nicks and scratches as I ploughed my way through the close knit branches. I had traversed nearly half the distance across the forest when I could hear the barking of dogs followed by frightened screaming. The harpies were flying low now having marked my location, clawing at me as they went past. The screams and barking were coming closer, I had to act quickly. It was clear now that my chances were better in the air where I would only have one type of creature to fend off. I thrust my wings out and took to the air once more dodging my way through the highest branches, doing my best to avoid the clawed talons of the harpies.

I had cleared the forest. I could see the vast expanse of burning desert below me and the flakes of fire that rained from the sky burned into my flesh like a thousand needles. A short way ahead I beheld a vast chasm, deep and devoid of light, the entrance to the malebolge. I was just beginning my descent when my shoulder was pierced with a sharp pain and I was knocked to the side, nearly falling to the ground. The harpies had caught up with me. I dodged them quickly, many of them turning back as I descended into the ice cold depths of the pit.

Only one of them remained, she thrust herself downward onto my back digging her sharp talons into my shoulders where my wings emerged causing me to spiral downward out of control. I whirled around then, taking hold of the creature as it clawed at my face slashing my cheek. We grappled for control as we plummeted, the ground quickly making its way up to meet us. As we neared impact I grabbed the shoulders of the harpy and rolled hard to my right so that the creature was between my body and the fast approaching earth. We slammed hard into the ground, the sickening crack of bone echoing loudly as the creature was crushed against the stones beneath us and lay unmoving beneath me.

I lay still for a moment catching my breath before crawling weakly to my feet. I could hardly stand, by body bruised from the impact, swayed unsteadily as I attempted a step. There was only a short way to go until I reached my destination, until I found my Edward. It would be a short lived happiness I was sure, in my present condition; I was no match for the furies. It didn't matter though, whether I was to rescue him or share in his punishment, either way we would be together. That's all that mattered. I stumbled forward, each step more agonizing than the last as the full brunt of his pain and mine crashed into me full force. The tears that couldn't flow before fell freely down my mud covered, blood stained face. I could hear his screams and sobs becoming louder, the pain so intense I could do scarcely more than crawl towards him. Suddenly I heard a bone chilling screech, followed by three loud hisses and then there was silence. The screaming stopped, so did the pain and I was able to move more freely again. I looked up defiantly from where I was crouched in pain into the terrible faces of the furies, staring into their cold hard eyes challenging them to make the first move. A slight whimper caught my attention and I turned my eyes to my beautiful angel trapped in the frozen waters, his head hung in defeat, eyes shut as his sobs wracked his body my tears still flowing endlessly from his eyes. My heart swelled with my love for him, the emotion bursting forth in blinding rays of light emanating from my entire being. The furies shrank back in fear covering their eyes at the brightness as I rushed forward to embrace my only love.

AN: Sorry for the cliffy! I have already started on the next chapter; it will be in Edwards POV. It is coming along very well I might say so It shouldn't be so long before I have it posted. The story will be ending soon; there will be the next chapter in Edwards POV and then an epilogue. I already know how I am ending it, it is just a matter of finding the time to get it all typed out. I apologize once again for the delay in posting this chapter. Life kind of downward spiraled on me for a few days, and my lil sis and biggest motivator to get writing was away at band campL Anyways, please review as it gives me even more incentive to write faster! And thank you to all of you who have sent me reviews already!


	6. The Power of Love

-1-AN: I really hope you enjoy the chapter! Please review!

Disclaimer: Still don't own them.

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Previously:

Bella's POV

_The tears that couldn't flow before fell freely down my mud covered, blood stained face. I could hear his screams and sobs becoming louder, the pain so intense I could do scarcely more than crawl towards him. Suddenly I heard a bone chilling screech, followed by three loud hisses and then there was silence._

_The screaming stopped, so did the pain and I was able to move more freely again. I looked up defiantly from where I was crouched in pain into the terrible faces of the furies, staring into their cold hard eyes challenging them to make the first move. A slight whimper caught my attention and I turned my eyes to my beautiful angel trapped in the frozen waters, his head hung in defeat, eyes shut as his sobs wracked his body my tears still flowing endlessly from his eyes. My heart swelled with my love for him, the emotion bursting forth in blinding rays of light emanating from my entire being. The furies shrank back in fear covering their eyes at the brightness as I rushed forward to embrace my only love_.

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Chapter 6 : The Power of Love

Edward's POV:

The pain was endless, as was the sadness in my soul. I could see, feel her all around me, knowing she could never be there again, and that it was my fault. There was no worse torture than this, add to that the searing pain the whips inflicted upon me, tongues of molten flame against the coldness of my skin. They burned like fire, and only served to remind me more of my beautiful angel, of her warm touch as she ran her fingers lightly over my cold skin. The pain would lessen slightly and I would foolishly allow myself the hope that it was ending, only to have it increase tenfold a moment later.

Insanity was drawing near, I could hardly discern anymore between reality and the illusions they had so fully imbued upon my mind. I could see her perfectly, her beautiful angelic face cold and peaceful. The faintest hint of her scent and the taste of her plagued my nose and mouth, and I could feel the ghost of her touch feathering across my torso even as the whips tore at my flesh, it was agony and ecstasy all at once, the perfect form of madness. I knew it wasn't real, yet I couldn't stop myself from believing she was really here. A perverse part of me reveled in the thought, that I would still have her with me forever, even if it was only an illusion of her lying lifeless before my eyes, the taste of her forever on my lips.

I shook the thoughts away. I was losing myself, my mind, to the monster within. Soon there would be nothing left of me but rage and instinct. They were wearing me down, breaking me slowly. They had broken my heart, my spirit, and now; I was losing my mind. Any moment now the strain would break me and I would be lost. _'This isn't real. This isn't real'_ I repeated the words over and over in my mind, a mantra to keep what little of my sanity was left to me. A vain effort, as my mind supplied me with the agonizing truth. It _was_ real, only partly an illusion. She _was_ dead, and I was the cause.

Loud sobs echoed in my ears in between agonizing screams of pain. Some small part of my mind told me that the sound was me, that they were my screams, but the pain didn't register in my mind anymore. My body was working solely on reflex; I was slipping away, fading. In a moment…I would no longer exist. Only the monster would remain.

Suddenly, there was a rush of wind and her glorious scent hit me like a tidal wave. A keening shriek cut the air followed by an angry hiss. I noticed then that the noise around me had lessened, and I realized that the screaming had stopped. Everything had stopped. The visions, the taste of her, her touch, and the pain from the whips, had all ceased. Only her scent remained. I began to come back to myself, the pain in my body hit me full force and I whimpered; my breathing labored as I continued to sob soundlessly. The tears I had been crying still flowed and I stood there with my head bowed, eyes closed, breathing her scent in deeply as I tried to regain control.

With my eyes closed, I could almost believe she was really here. There was a loud shuffling of feet and a bright light stabbed into the darkness. The warmth of the light began to thaw the ice that held my hands and I was able to raise them. A warm weight slammed into my body pressing into me and I gasped in surprise as two soft warm arms wrapped me in a familiar embrace and I was assaulted once again with the smell of freesias. It was her, my Bella.

I knew it had to be just another of their illusions, but she felt so real. My arms lifted and embraced her of their own accord. My eyes were still squeezed shut, I refused to open them. If I opened my eyes I knew she would disappear and I wanted her to stay here with me. If I lost her again…I would lose myself. She planted soft kisses all over my face, her voice a soft whisper of my name over and over again. I moaned at the feel of her lips softly caressing my skin and tightened my embrace. I could feel her warmth spreading over my cold body. This was an illusion I would gladly suffer for eternity. She whispered softly then.

"I love you Edward"

A new surge of tears assaulted me as I whispered "You're not real. This is a dream, an illusion, and when I open my eyes, you'll disappear, and the pain will be all that's real again, and I'll be lost." My voice breaking as the sobs wracked my body.

"No! Edward it's me, I'm here, with you…forever. Please, just open your eyes. Believe in me." She said, cupping my face in her small hands, willing me to look at her.

I slid my eyes open slowly and was blinded by the brilliancy of the light that danced around us. As my eyes began to focus I could see her. She was kneeling down, her arms wrapped tightly around me. Her hair hung damp about her face caked with dried mud. Streaks of mud and dried blood smeared her body, and her arms, shoulders, and face were marred with many scratches and cuts. Protruding from her shoulder blades, were two large white wings stained with blood. Even in her battered state, she was the most beautiful creature I'd ever laid eyes upon. The light that surrounded us was emanating from every part of her. I had been right all along; she _was_ an angel, _my_ angel. I focused my gaze on her face, finally allowing myself to believe that this was real. She was really here; it wasn't a trick of my mind.

A surge of emotion swept over me as I crushed her lips to mine, my arms wrapping around her holding her tightly to my chest. "Bella" my voice ground out her name as I released her lips pulling back to stare into her face, my heart and spirit becoming whole once more, as if they had never been broken.

"I was right, you really are an angel", my voice an awed whisper. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you; I love you… so much"

All the love I felt for her burst forth then overwhelming me and a fierce light began to glow from my skin. I crushed her to me once more vowing never to let her go and the light intensified around us building into a glowing aura that enveloped us completely.

Beyond the halo of light that surrounded us I could see the furies cowering down, shielding their eyes from the brightness their faces a mask of horror and loathing. They were afraid. For the first time in their existence they knew what it was to be afraid, to be as helpless as their many victims. I turned my face to Bella's then, gazing into her eyes as the tears that flowed down both of our faces finally ceased.

"I love you" our voices whispered in unison and we smiled lovingly into one another's faces as our lips met in a passionately tender kiss. The light around us exploded then, with the blinding force of a nuclear blast, and a shockwave was sent out from around us shattering the ice that held me prisoner and setting me free. I rose to my feet then, pulling Bella with me and holding her tightly to me, her head tucked under my chin, her arms squeezing me back with equal intensity.

There were three blood curdling screams as the shockwave swept over the furies, the force of the love and the light it contained turning them instantly to dust as their echoes faded away into nothingness. Never again would their brand of justice be carried out, our love had destroyed them. The ground beneath us shook and stones began to fall from the walls as the light took over everything bouncing around the cavern glittering in all its beauty. We clenched our eyes shut, tightening our embrace and her wings enveloped us, shielding us as everything around us began to quake and crumble … and then there was silence.

There was nothing then, only the light that shone brightly from our bodies. We had no idea where we were or what was to become of us, but it didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was that we were together, we were free. We held each other close, our eyes shut tightly, my chin resting in the crook of her neck soaking in the feelings of love and of peace that surrounded us.

She spoke then, her warm breath stirring my hair gently causing me to shiver as she whispered into my ear. "What happened? Where are we?"

My eyes slid slowly open then, taking in our surroundings. A vast blackness stretched out in all directions dotted with tiny specks of twinkling light, stars by the looks of them. The light around us still shone brightly but seemed to be subdued by the encroaching darkness. I looked down then, expecting to find solid earth beneath my feet, only to be met with the same vision as every other direction in which I had looked, a vast unending field of stars, as though we were walking on a sheet of glass.

"I don't know love, and honestly, at this moment I don't care. You're here, you're really here. You saved me. How, I have no idea, but you did."

"I had to. I couldn't leave you there, with _them._ I couldn't let you be punished for something that was my fault to begin with. I couldn't be without you. I love you."

I relaxed my hold on her, pulling back to look into her eyes and I gasped. The vision before me was not the one I had beheld seemingly moments before. Her hair and body were no longer caked with mud and dried blood and the cuts that marred her body had disappeared. She was clean, her silky red-brown hair cascading in waves over her shoulders in striking contrast to her pale complexion. She was dressed in a long gown of shimmering white gossamer that trailed the floor a good three feet behind her, her sparkling wings stretched wide behind her. Her deep chocolate eyes stared lovingly into my face, a warm smile gracing her lips. She bore no trace of the horrors she had braved to get to me.

I looked down at myself then and to my complete shock, I was dressed similarly, in robes of flowing white, my body unmarred by any sign of the torture I had endured. I smiled as she lightly pressed her lips to mine for the briefest of moments. A contented sigh escaped my lips and I couldn't help but ask her "So, what happens now?" She opened her mouth to speak, only to close it again quickly as a loud voice answered from behind us.

"A pertinent question. Indeed, what _does _happen now?"

We looked to the direction of the voice and soon, out of the haze came a tall man with long chestnut hair that slightly obscured his perfectly angled face, a pair of piercing blue eyes studying us intently. It was obvious he was an angel, obvious because of the overly large white wings that protruded from his back at an even greater span than Bella's.

Bella started then, recognition dawning in her face as she moved to speak. "Chamuel… why are you…?" her voice trailed off unable to finish the question as he was already giving his answer.

"Two reasons sister." A soft smile graced his delicate features as he answered. "The first being to apologize for my closed minded disbelief. I underestimated the both of you greatly. He truly _does_ love you." She smiled at him then teasingly laughing as she replied.

"Well I hate to have to say I told you so but…"

"Yes, you were right sister. He _is_ different, they all are, a fact that will no longer go unnoticed. Which brings me now to the second reason, and the answer to your previous question. What happens now?"

We stilled, the light atmosphere turning instantly somber as we stood trying desperately to glean from his expression the answer we sought. His voice was clear and calm as he began to speak.

"Do not fear, you will not be returning below. It would be impossible for you to do so. The love you share has freed him of that fate. The power of your bond has shaken apart the very foundations of Hell. The frozen lake is buried deep now, unreachable by any, and the furies are no more. They have been destroyed by that which they could never understand nor experience. You were very nearly lost beneath the rubble, had our Father not intervened, you would have been."

My mind reeled at the concept; our love had nearly destroyed all of Hell. I was free now, no longer damned.

"So, we're in heaven then?" I asked hopefully. Though I suspected we weren't, I wasn't entirely prepared for his reply. His face became grave as he answered.

"No, it is not. Though I daresay Bella could have told you as much. Nor will you be able to enter its gates." I looked at him then, confusion evident on my features and then turned my gaze back to Bella whose gaze was fixed firmly on the ground. She at least seemed to understand. I turned to face Chamuel once more as I spoke.

"I don't understand. We aren't going to Hell, but we aren't going to Heaven either? Then where…"

"Your love has redeemed you of hell, but her defiance of Heaven cannot be undone. She chose to follow her own will, and turned from grace. The light of that city shall never receive you now, though your family may yet see it. The strength of your love has proven the worth of your kind to enter in. No more shall they be damned simply for being as they are. Those who strive as you did, and as your family does, to fight against their nature, against the monster they have become shall be allowed entrance."

Shock came over me then, and hope beyond measure. My family would be saved. Whatever fate we should endure now would be worth this. I felt my angel tighten her arms around my waist and I looked down at her, her awed expression matching my own. Her voice shook slightly as she spoke again.

"Chamuel, you still haven't answered our question though. If we are redeemed of Hell and Heaven cannot receive us either, where then are we to go?" He smiled then as he answered.

"Here is where you will stay. The light of your love shines so brightly it rivals that even of Heaven, so our Father has placed you among the stars as a symbol of hope to your kind Edward. A promise if you will, that they shall no more be forgotten. You will spend eternity within each others arms, the light of your love outshining the brightest stars in the heavens, a true testament to the power of love."

We both smiled at this, knowing our family would have new hope, and that nothing would separate us again. We looked deeply into each others eyes, our love and joy radiating causing the light to intensify once more as our lips came softly together for the final time. All physical sensation was lost then as our souls fused together making us truly one for the rest of time, the light of our love forever burning brightly in the heavens for all to see.

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AN: Wow, this took a lot longer than I had anticipated to write. I got off to a really good start, and then got stuck on the dialog. Anyways, I really hope you enjoy the chapter. Only one left, the epilogue, which will be done from Alice's POV. Anyways, read and review please and let me know what you think. As always your opinions really mean a lot to me.


	7. Epilogue

-1AN: OK here it is the final chapter. Hope you enjoy and review!

Disclaimer: Once again, I sadly, own nothing.

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Epilogue

Alice's POV:

I stared silently at the living room wall from my place on the couch, waiting. If the vision I had just had was true, Erica would be walking through the door any time now. I couldn't bring myself to tell the others what had happened. This was one of the many times I cursed my ability to see what was going to happen. I hoped this vision had been wrong, but I knew deep down that it wasn't. It had happened. My brother had killed the one thing he had ever truly loved, and had followed after as soon as he possibly could.

I was broken out of my reverie at the sound of the door slamming. Erica rushed in, panic clearly visible on her face. The rest of the family was gathered around her listening intently to her account of the events that had taken place in the park. How my brother had killed a human, one he had seemed to know, to care for, and how he had fled with the body instructing her not to follow.

There was no doubt in their minds that the human had been Bella. They were unclear however on where he had gone. I was the only one who had ever known his true intentions should anything ever happen to Bella. I could feel all of their eyes fixed on me as I stared sadly at the wall, unable to meet their gaze. I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder and I looked up into Esme's grief stricken face begging me silently to tell her that her fears were unfounded.

"He's gone" I whispered. The finality of it slamming into us all and I knew that if we had the ability to cry, we would be. I rose from my spot on the couch making my way outside and climbed onto the roof to watch the soft glow of the Aurora Borealis. I stared intently at the stars above me, searching for answers I would never find. Why did it have to be this way? Why did they both have to be gone? They should have been able to be together, to be happy. But our kind didn't get happy endings, did we.

I stared at the sky for hours, lost in my grief. The night was deepening quickly, passing me by untouched by its effects. As I peered up at the endless points of light above me, suddenly a blinding flash entered the sky. It was beautiful, far brighter than any other star I had ever seen and all of a sudden my eyes clouded over. I was slammed into a vision stronger than any I had ever received.

I could see Edward, trapped in ice and enduring unbearable torture. Then all of a sudden a light stabbed into the darkness and then dimmed slightly. It was Bella, but she had wings. She was an angel. She was exhausted, covered in mud and blood but she stood defiantly in the face of his tormenters. She had come to rescue him. They were in an embrace and suddenly a light exploded freeing him and destroying all the surroundings.

My vision shifted then back to the stars, only I could see Edward and Bella clearly, talking to someone I couldn't see. I couldn't hear everything of what they were saying but one portion of the conversation stood out clearly. A strange voice was speaking as if out of nowhere for I could not see the source of it.

It said, "Your love has redeemed you of hell, but her defiance of Heaven cannot be undone. She chose to follow her own will, and turned from grace. The light of that city shall never receive you now, though your family may yet see it. The strength of your love has proven the worth of your kind to enter in. No more shall they be damned simply for being as they are. Those who strive as you did, and as your family does, to fight against their nature, against the monster they have become shall be allowed entrance."

The scene progressed though I caught only one more segment of the conversation. The voice again.

"Here is where you will stay. The light of your love shines so brightly it rivals that even of Heaven, so our Father has placed you among the stars as a symbol of hope to your kind Edward. A promise if you will, that they shall no more be forgotten. You will spend eternity within each others arms, the light of your love outshining the brightest stars in the heavens, a true testament to the power of love."

I saw Edward and Bella smile then and lean into a kiss. The light exploded from them and their physical forms melted away as the light from both their bodies fused together to form the brightest star in the heavens.

The vision faded then and I was left staring back up into the sky at the stars once again. The bright point of light I had noticed just before the vision glittered joyfully at me and I smiled. It seems as though things worked out for the better after all. Edward and Bella finally got their happily every after. They would be together for eternity now, and thanks to their love, all of our kind that strived to be better than we are would be redeemed in the eyes of heaven. I stood up then, running back to the house where my family waited.

I told them my vision, and of the star I had seen appear in the sky moments before, taking them outside to show them. We stood there for the rest of the night, keeping silent vigil as we watched their love burn brightly in the heavens, sending them our love and our thanks for their wonderful gift to us.

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AN: OK, there it is…the end of the story. I would like to thank all of you who took the time to read and review this. Your reviews really made me feel good about writing this. I am really glad that you enjoyed it so much. I hope to start posting my next fic soon. I have quite a few in the works right now so I am not sure which I am going to be posting first. Keep a look out for it though! Thanks again all of you!


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